In A Time of Darkness Light Will Shine Through
by SonicGenesis89
Summary: Throughout the years Eggman has grown cruel and malicious. The rivalry between him and Sonic has changed from a friendly one to a deadly one. When a rescue mission goes horribly wrong, the Sonic Team are left to grieve over the loss of the worlds greatest hero and their beloved best friend. With nobody left to stop Eggman, the world is cast into darkness and suppression.
1. The Loss of a Hero

**_I bet everyone was wondering if they were ever going to see an update or new story from me again. I'm so sorry for months of inactivity. I really am. After winter break I was really swamped with school and literally just had no time to really focus on my stories like I wanted. I couldn't wait until the summer time to work on all my stories and ideas but the ironic part about that is when it was finally summer, I suffered from severe writer's block. I have all the stories planned out and ideas...yet I couldn't write anything without it sounding absolutely terrible. I think I'm just very rusty and will hopefully get better in time. I was finally able to get out of my block and felt inspired to write again literally a week before I start school again. But rest assured, this year I plan to try and update all my stories on a regular basis. For those of you waiting for Chapter five of "A Bitter Upbringing and a Tender Love" I apologize for the long wait. _**

**_Over the summer I've been rewriting and revising the first four chapters and I plan to update with Chapter five soon. I wanted to upload it after finishing fixing the first couple of Chapters but I may just upload it first since everyone has been waiting since January for an update. Now, this new story I've had planned and on my mind for almost a year. It has gone through so many plot and idea changes it's not even funny. I have the middle and ending pretty much planned out already but the beginning I was still a little vague on so when I first started this Chapter I was getting ideas and writing as I go. I now have a really steady idea on the direction I want to go and take this. I hope you enjoy this new story from me and I apologize again for the long wait from me. I just want to thank everyone again for all their reviews, story alerts, and favorites. It mean's the world to me and I read every single review given to me on all my stories. They always encourage me and make me feel special. It gives me more drive to finish a story when I know how much people are really liking and enjoying it. I think I've rambled long enough though, so on with the new story! :)_**

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**_Summary_**

_Throughout the years Eggman has grown cruel and malicious. The rivalry between him and Sonic has changed from a friendly one to a deadly one. When a rescue mission goes horribly wrong, the Sonic Team are left to grieve over the loss of the worlds greatest hero and their beloved best friend. With nobody left to stop Eggman, the world is cast into darkness and suppression. Five years later, hope is revived within the remnants of the Sonic Team as Shadow thinks of a plan he feels is the only way to stop Eggman. Shadow then has his hands full when he has to work with his "little" secret weapon much to the worry of a still grieving and paranoid Amy Rose._

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**Chapter One – The Loss of a Hero**

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Sonic's feet pounded heavily onto the cold metallic floor as he sped throughout Eggman's base with much haste. A booming siren filled the cobalt hedgehog's sensitive ears as he boosted throughout corridors and took out handfuls of robots that stood in his way. He had a stern, serious, and somewhat worried look upon his face. His expression of wavering confidence and uncertainty was foreign and unusual for him but given the circumstances at hand it was justified. The base was gloomy and dark with only the lights from various machines and monitors to provide him enough light to see where he was going. The morbid base was a massive labyrinth and he was beginning to feel a little uneasy and concerned as to which way to go. He couldn't afford to waste any more time.

"_Don't worry Amy…I'm coming." _Sonic thought to himself confidently. He felt his adrenaline rushing throughout his veins as he pushed himself to hurry to her aid. Sonic was feeling a bit frustrated with himself. He blamed himself for Amy's current situation. If he hadn't left her alone like he did she would probably still be at home nice and safe. Then again…it seems that isn't really the case here. It has become apparent that Eggman had been watching him for some time now. Just waiting to make his move and seize the perfect opportunity when it called to him.

Throughout the years Sonic and Eggman had been playing the same charade of good versus evil time and time again. But things have taken a drastically different turn. Over the years their once seemingly playful rivalry amongst each other has taken on a much darker tone. As Sonic continued to thwart all of Eggman's plans, Eggman had begun to slowly succumb into madness. With each new scheme he created he was hell bent on claiming Sonic's or his closest friend's lives whatever the cost. It seems with his advancing age he has become much more desperate and developed an even deeper loathing towards the Sonic Team than he already had. What once was an exciting adventure to Sonic has turned into desperation to protect the innocent and the ones closest to him.

As Sonic turned another corner, red sirens on the ceiling greeted him with their loud piercing cries and blaring bright light. The once darkened area was now basked in red light and Sonic knew he was getting closer to his desired destination. He slid beneath a crack under a security door that had failed to shut properly and pressed onward. Sonic had the help from his best buddy and adopted brother Tails who flew him to Eggman's hidden base in the Tornado II. He knew it was only a matter of time before his friends found him within the base and assisted him in Amy Rose's rescue.

Eventually, Sonic found himself in a rather large circular room. It was eerily silent; the only sounds within the room were coming from nearby control panels and security monitors. Sonic blinked a few times trying to allow his eyes to adjust to this newfound darkness. Something didn't quite feel right here and he was feeling his stomach beginning to churn in unease. Suddenly, a bright neon green light illuminated the room in the shape of a spot light and focused its attention on the nearby wall in front of him. There Sonic saw Amy Rose shackled and bound to the wall breathing heavily and looking down to the floor in defeat. She looked bruised and battered and a small amount of blood had begun trickling down from the corner of her mouth. Sonic's eyes widened in surprise and he felt his heart beginning to race.

"Amy!" He called as he ran over to her. Amy lifted her head up weakly as she recognized his voice and found herself staring right into his gleaming emerald orbs. "Sonic…you came for me…" She whispered softly feeling her heart beginning to flutter. "Of course I did. I always do, don't I?" He stated with confidence and a soft reassuring smile as he began trying to free her of her shackles.

Amy's eyes began to brim with fresh tears and she tried her hardest to suppress them. She was so happy to see Sonic, her love, come to her rescue. Just like he always did. He never failed her and she doubted he ever will. "Don't worry Ames…we'll be outta here in no time." He reassured her as he noticed her oncoming tears. "Don't cry…everything's gonna be fine." He whispered comfortingly as he wiped some loose tears away with his thumb. The two stared at one another for a moment. Amy smiled weakly wishing more than anything to fall into his warm embrace. Sonic caressed her cheek unconsciously as he felt himself getting lost in the deep pools of her jade colored eyes.

After a few more moments, Sonic pulled his hand away much to Amy's disappointment and went back to the task at hand. He used all his strength to tear open the bonds on her legs and successfully freed them. Now she was just hanging with her hands being held above her head. "Almost done…" He claimed as he quickly went to work on the bonds holding her hands together. "Hurry Sonic…" Amy said in a worried tone. Her temporary relief and happiness left her as she remembered their current situation and the reason why she was in this predicament. They had to hurry…Eggman was planning to do something horrible to Sonic. Kidnapping her…everything he's done…it has all been a set up made specifically for her cobalt hero.

Suddenly, a sinister voice filled the silent room. "Well…well…if it isn't my old friend Sonic." The familiar voice spat venomously. Immediately upon hearing the voice Sonic tensed up. His quills stiffened and his hands clenched into tight fists. Amy whimpered silently as her fears were becoming realized. Sonic turned his head to face his nemesis. Eggman was sitting inside an immense red mech encased in a chrome finishing. The giant machine towered over the two hedgehogs that stood as tall as its ankles. The machine was fully decorated with weapons of mass destruction and guns to annihilate anything that stood in its path. What grasped Sonic's attention the most however, was the large neon green glowing light encased within the center of the giant machine. It was unmistakable. It was none other than the Master Emerald.

"Eggman…" Sonic said through gritted teeth. He was furious and that was putting it lightly. Nobody hurt Amy and got away with it. The _old _Eggman would never harm anybody with the exception of probably Sonic himself. With the Master Emerald in Eggman's possession, Sonic knew it was only a matter of time before ol' Knucklehead showed up to the scene. "Sorry to ruin your little reunion…but I do believe I have a little _surprise_ made just for you Sonic." Eggman said with a malicious grin plastered onto his face. His finger's combed through his greying mustache as he glared intently at the enraged cobalt hedgehog. Sonic got into a fighting position and gave Eggman a cold stare of his own. "You've gone too far this time Eggman!" Sonic shouted angrily. Eggman only laughed heavily as though he were mocking him. "Have I? I believe I'm just getting started!" Eggman shouted with a hint of excitement in his voice.

Without further hesitation, Sonic ran head on towards Eggman's mech. "No! Sonic it's a trap!" Amy yelled as a new batch of tears threatened her eyes. She struggled to get her hands free of the shackles that restrained her. She had to help Sonic. Sonic heard her voice from behind him but ignored it. He knew it was a trap. He was well aware of what Eggman's intentions were and that was to claim his life. Eggman grinned wickedly as he pressed a red button on the control panel in front of him. Within seconds a massive gun made itself known and began shooting at Sonic relentlessly. Sonic was able to outrun and dodge the bullets with ease. "You're gonna have to do better than that Egghead!" Sonic taunted. With a simple lift of a switch the gun was quickly replaced with that of a giant drill that quickly made its way towards the blue hedgehog. "Let's see you try and avoid this Sonic!" Eggman shouted dementedly.

* * *

Tails circled the skies overlooking the hidden base below him. Just a couple of minutes prior Sonic had been standing on the edge of the wing looking down at their destination. Tails couldn't help but notice the angry, solemn, and dangerous expression Sonic was exhibiting. He had never seen his best friend and big brother look so vengeful before. It was out of character for him and Tails couldn't help but feel a little unsettled.

"_Sonic…" Tails asked in a cautious tone. Sonic snapped out of the trance he was in and looked up at his little brother. "Yeah buddy?" Tails paused for a moment before replying. "Are you alright?" Sonic looked at him for a moment. "Yeah I'm just fine." He stated with a cool and calm voice. He gave his little brother a fake half grin and thumbs up to further reassure him. Tails was only half convinced but said nothing more._

Soon after that Sonic leaped from the wing of the plane and made his way into the base. Tails lingered behind as he fought off oncoming missiles and rockets sent out by Eggman to stop him. Tails managed to buy Sonic some time and was now trying to find a safe place to land. Sonic's change in demeanor was still bothering him. What had Sonic so riled up like that? Amy's been kidnapped more times than anyone could count over the years and Sonic had never reacted like that beforehand. Before Tails could ponder on it further he noticed a familiar red echidna standing in front of what he presumed was the entrance to the base.

Tails made a smooth landing on the rugged, mountainous terrain and quickly turned the plane off. He removed his pilot helmet and hastily tossed it into the seat as he hopped out. He quickly ran in the direction he had last seen Knuckles in hopes of catching up to him. Tails was in such a rush to find his friend he failed to notice the agitated echidna standing right before him and crashed right into him. Tails went pummeling to the hard ground while Knuckles merely stood there as though he were never touched at all. "Hey…what's the big idea…?" Knuckles yelled in annoyance as he turned around. His hard stare softened when he noticed the yellow fox lying on the ground beside him. "Tails…?" He asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing actually." Tails said as he got up from the ground and dusted himself off. Knuckles clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes as he turned his attention back on the base entrance. "That bastard Eggman stole the Master Emerald from me." Tails' eyes widened in mild surprise. "He did? When did this happen?" He asked wanting to know more. "Just last night and I came to get it back." Knuckles grit his teeth and felt the fury building up inside of him. Tails was silent for a moment before speaking again. "How did he manage to get ahold of it? What were you doing when this was all happening?" Knuckles was silent and Tails could have sworn he saw his cheeks turn a faint red.

"I was uh…err…I-it doesn't matter!" He stuttered, quickly wanting to change the subject. "…I have a bad feeling Tails…I think Eggman is up to something." Knuckles stated grimly.

"So do I. He kidnapped Amy and now Sonic went on ahead after her." Tails stated factually.

"I was wondering where ol' blue boy was." Knuckles cracked a slight smirk.

The two were silent for a moment as they took in their surroundings. Something just felt horribly off. The sky was grey and ominous and the air was chilly and unnerving. Tails was beginning to feel uneasy and was starting to worry about Sonic's welfare. Knuckles on the other hand, was beginning to feel that this dreary atmosphere had something to do with the Master Emerald. The very thought of that only fueled the echidna's anger more. He had to retrieve the Master Emerald and restore Angel Island which was no longer in the sky but in the center of the ocean.

Knuckles clenched his fists and let out a grunt of frustration. "What are we doing standing around here for!" He yelled as he began walking towards the base entrance. "R-right, let's go!" Tails chipped in and followed close behind.

"_Sonic…I hope everything's okay…" _He thought to himself in worry.

* * *

Sonic dodged another incoming attack from Eggman. He inhaled sharply and wiped the small amount of blood from the corner of his mouth. He had been trying to destroy Eggman's mech and it was proving to be difficult. Eggman was using the power from the Master Emerald to power up his machine making it much more powerful and indestructible. Sonic could hear Amy's cries from across the room and it pained him. He had to hurry and get her out of there. Eggman had been giving him everything his new monstrosity had to offer him: guns, drills, electrical beams, missiles, and even grenades. Despite his failure to mortally wound the hedgehog, Eggman seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this. His smile was filled with malice, contempt and sheer pleasure out of trying to kill him. If Sonic could pick a time where it could be like the good old days now would definitely be the time.

The two were now at a standoff. Both were just waiting for the other to make the first move. Eggman's beady little eyes gleamed through his spectacles and a malevolent smirk tugged at his lips. "I think that's enough games for now. It's time to give you your _surprise_ Sonic." He said through wicked laughter. Eggman then turned his full attention to the pink hedgehog who was still struggling to free her hands of the shackles that constrained her. Sonic's eyes widened in fear and he felt his heart stop.

_No…_

Eggman got his mech in position and couldn't control his demented laughter. Amy looked up at the mad man in fear. Tears were streaming down both of her cheeks like waterfalls and she froze as she glanced at the giant machine only a few feet in front of her. "S-Sonic!" She screamed in terror. Sonic began to panic. "Eggman! Stop! She has nothing to do with this!" But Eggman only chuckled darkly at Sonic's response. "You and I both know that isn't true." He flipped a couple of switches and both hedgehogs noticed the Master Emerald in the center beginning to glow a bright ominous light. The sounds of an electrical current charging filled everyone's ears and Sonic looked back towards Amy, his heart now beating faster than he could run.

"Amy!" He screamed. Without another thought he ran to her side. Wanting nothing more but to protect her and keep her safe from harm. He vowed to always protect her didn't he? He wouldn't allow anyone or anything to hurt her. Even if it cost him his very life, he would keep her safe. Sonic stood in front of Amy and shielded her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed himself tightly against her. She whimpered in his embrace and he could feel her trembling in his arms. Amy looked up fearfully into Sonic's emerald eyes and he tried his hardest to comfort her.

"Sonic!" She cried as the sounds of the powerful beam began to grow louder. The two of them knew the blast was coming at any moment. "Ames…Amy listen to me…Everything's gonna be okay…_You're_ gonna be okay. I promise you." He told her firmly with a serious expression and voice. He wasn't just trying to comfort her either. He meant everything he said. She _will_ be okay. He'll make sure of it. He closed his eyes as the sounds of her crying filled his ears and he awaited the inevitable.

Within the next second, the beam finished charging and shot off at full force at the intended target. The powerful ray hit Sonic spot on and he screamed out in severe anguish. Electricity surged throughout his body and he felt as though his whole body was on fire. Despite his pain, he continued to hold himself up against the wall taking full impact of the hit in order to protect Amy. Tears filled Sonic's eyes as the beam continued to burn away at his flesh and the room was filled with his screams of agony. Amy was forced to endure and watch in sheer horror as her hero and love was suffering and slowly dying for her sake. The Master Emerald was beginning to become unstable. Blue electrical currents swirled around it and sparks began emanating from it. Eggman's mech was beginning to malfunction and shut down. He slammed his fists down on the control panel in anger and frustration. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"What…? What's going on? What's the meaning of this?" Eggman shouted as the power began to fail. The monitors were fading in and out and the words were appearing as gibberish. He began to quickly press buttons, flip switches, and tried typing in commands to get his mech back in his control but to no avail. He growled in agitation as his plan seemed to be failing just like all of his other failed ideas and attempts to conquer the world. "No! I won't fail this time!" He screeched as he tried to regain some control. He turned a dial on the control panel and amped up the power being released from the Master Emerald. He was being driven completely by rage and insanity. Sonic's screams increased and seemed to echo throughout the entire base. For Eggman, Sonic's pleading cries of agony was music to his ears. He was originally going to fire his beam at Amy with the intention of breaking Sonic from within but this worked out much better than he was initially expecting.

The electricity began to flicker all throughout the base and the walls shook fiercely as though there was an immense earthquake taking place. It was a miracle the building hadn't collapsed on them yet from the sheer force and power at work. The room was suddenly engulfed in a blinding bright green light and Eggman had to shield his eyes. Amy was completely oblivious to the happenings outside of the neon green beam that was engulfing her and Sonic. She let out pain filled cries as she was forced to witness Sonic suffering. In the next minute or so, the beam was beginning to diminish and weaken. The bright light that engulfed the room began to fade as the Master Emerald's power had been exhausted. The room suddenly fell into an eerie silence. Eggman slowly opened his eyes to see what had happened. There before him was a burned wall with small flames lightly burning on the ground directly beneath it. Attached to the wall was a sobbing and whimpering pink hedgehog that looked unscathed to the damage that had been done all around her. But something was missing. Where was the motionless, burnt corpse of Sonic the Hedgehog?

If he had successfully murdered the cobalt nuisance he wanted to bask in the glory. He wanted to see it for himself and take it all in. He glanced around the half destroyed room half expecting to see the blue rodent come at him completely unharmed. After so many years of failure, that was a normal reaction, a habit he had fallen into. Sonic never failed. The blue bastard never died no matter what he did or tried. But after moments of waiting, the room was still silent and unmoving. Did he really do it? Did he really kill Sonic? After so many years of failed attempts did he finally for once in his life succeed? Eggman was a bit dumbfounded and astonished at his own victory.

Amy was afraid to open her eyes. She was afraid to see something that will haunt her for the rest of her life. She didn't feel Sonic's warmth anymore. His strong yet gentle hands were no longer wrapped around her waist and even the faintest sound of him breathing was nonexistent. She took in an unsteady breath of air and prepared herself for what she may not want to see. Amy slowly opened her eyes feeling her heart pounding heavily into her chest but found nothing to look at. All she saw were small burning flames beneath her and debris. It was as though Sonic had simply disappeared altogether. As if he had never been there in the first place.

Amy's eyes brimmed with fresh tears as realization hit her and Eggman's heartless, cruel laughter rang throughout her ears. "Sonic…" She whimpered softly. Her unshed tears were beginning to build in her eyes. _"No…he can't be…This isn't happening!" _Her inner thoughts screamed at her. Eggman hopped out of the top of his mech and began gleefully celebrating his biggest victory yet: the death of Sonic the Hedgehog. "I did it!" He exclaimed in astonishment. "I actually did it!" Amy's body began shaking uncontrollably as Eggman's words continued to stab at her heart. "No…" She said so softly it was almost inaudible. He couldn't be…He just couldn't. She shook her head in denial as she continued to fight back her tears. Any minute now he'll come running out and rescue her. He'll surprise everyone and be completely unscathed.

"The beam must've burnt him to a crisp! Eggman chanted happily to himself aloud. "There's nothing left of him!" He continued to gloat and laugh maliciously, like a bad boy getting all the gifts on Christmas day instead of coal. Eggman's latest statement did a number to Amy's mental and emotional state at that moment. She shook her head defiantly. "No…" She cried in a louder voice. "NO!" She screamed, her voice echoing throughout the half destroyed room. "NO! SONIC! NO!" She continued to scream. The dam finally broke and all her held back tears were unleashed in a fury. Her entire face was soaked as she began to sob uncontrollably. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't possible! It just wasn't! This couldn't be the end. It just couldn't be.

Amy sunk her head low in defeat as she felt her heart shatter and break into millions of pieces. The love of her life was possibly gone forever and it was all her fault. If it wasn't for her…none of this would have ever happened. She continued to blame herself as the tears flowed out of her now reddened eyes. Her hot, salty tears began to drip from her face and fall to the floor as though it were raining. Eggman would have continued his small victory dance if it weren't for the sounds of familiar voices filling his ears from afar. He looked around his destroyed hidden sanctuary, his now unresponsive broken down mech, and for the time being, power exhausted Master Emerald. It was time to make a fast and steady retreat before Sonic's _little_ friends showed up to rain on his parade.

Eggman quickly hopped back into his mech and slammed his fist down on the eject button. Out he went from the motionless machine in his Eggomatic and slowly hovered over towards the compartment that stored the Master Emerald. A large claw came out from a compartment down beneath and latched itself onto the dimmed green gem in a firm, tight grasp. With a strong tug, the gem was freed from its containment chamber and carried off steadily beneath the Eggomatic. Now that Sonic was finally out of the way he can start taking his plans into the next phase. Nobody will be left to stop him now. There was nothing left to stand in his way. For now he will retreat before he made his next move.

Eggman turned his attention to the inconsolable Amy Rose and smiled darkly. "I'll let you go this time, you pink brat, but the next time we meet you won't be so lucky." He stated in a cold, monotonous voice. And with that, he left. Amy continued to weep in utter despair. She hardly paid any attention to Eggman's last words or departure. She was so grief stricken with what had just happened. It was obvious she was going into a state of shock.

"Amy!" A familiar voice yelled. Amy lifted her tear stained face to look into the cerulean eyes of none other than Tails. She saw Knuckles quickly trailing behind, looking around the room no doubt looking for Eggman and the Master Emerald. Amy looked distantly at Tails and began to cry quietly to herself once more. Tails was beginning to feel uncomfortable whereas Knuckles seemed more confused. "…Amy…? Amy what's wrong?" Tails asked gently. Amy continued to remain silent and softly cried. Knuckles walked over and wordlessly freed Amy of the bonds that held her arms to the wall. She slid to the floor weakly and felt slight relief at her now sore arms finally being freed.

As Amy continued to be unresponsive Tails and Knuckles exchanged uneasy looks. "…Where's Sonic?" Tails asked, feeling his stomach beginning to churn. It was obvious something was wrong here and his big brother's absence was making him feel even more anxious. After hearing that question Amy broke into hysterics. Tails slowly backed away, afraid of what Amy's odd behavior was signifying. Knuckles knelt down in front of Amy and shook her shoulders a little more roughly than he had intended to. "Hey! Get a hold of yourself! Snap out of it and tell us what happened already!" Knuckles yelled. Although he came off as frustrated, he too was very concerned with the odd behavior Amy was exhibiting and Sonic's mysterious absence.

"S-S-Sonic's…" Amy choked as more tears filled her eyes. Just saying or hearing his name stabbed at her heart. She went limp in Knuckles hold as her heartache and agony overwhelmed her. She felt sick to her stomach and her eyes burned. "H-He's…" She trailed off. She couldn't say it. Saying it would make it true. Saying it would make it definite. "He's what!" Knuckles exclaimed, shaking her a little. "Knuckles…" Tails tried to intervene. He was dreading what Amy was about to say. He wasn't sure if he could handle whatever it was she was trying to tell them. "H-He's…He's…g-g-gone…" Amy stammered. After finally saying it, she sobbed into a bewildered Knuckles shoulder, yearning for some comfort and warmth. Tails' eyes grew wide and he felt the world stop. "…What?"


	2. Surprising Revelation

**_I'm so happy I was able to update this Chapter relatively quick. I managed to finish it just before school! I'm so happy about that. Like I said in the previous Chapter, despite going back to school, this year I plan to update all my stories regularly and as fast as I can. Thank you everyone for all the follows, favorites, and reviews for this and all my other stories. :) I really appreciate it and I'm really glad you enjoy them._**

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**Chapter Two – Surprising Revelation**

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Dark storm clouds billowed over the countryside and the thriving city of Station Square just a few miles away. Ever since Sonic's shocking and sudden death two weeks ago the weather has been grim. It's as though the world itself was crying over the loss of its hero. Thunder cracked and heavy raindrops fell against the windows of a small cottage home. Inside was Amy Rose, lying in bed, hiding underneath her blankets and sobbing into her pillow. Amy's mood matched the miserable, gloomy weather happening outside. By now her pillow was drenched from her salty tears and her eyes were dry and sore from her excessive crying. The events of that fateful day continued to plague and torment her mind as she tried to find solace in sleep once more.

A low groan escaped her lips as she clutched her blankets tightly. Her stomach was in knots and the desire to get sick again was growing stronger. Amy closed her eyes and took in unsteady breaths as she tried to keep her mind off of her uneasy stomach. She could feel the bile building in the back of her throat and knew she couldn't avoid the inevitable. Headaches, fatigue, and extreme nausea have become a daily routine for her. She supposed it was because she was making herself sick. She hadn't really been eating and spent the majority of her time locked away in her bedroom crying. In fact, her sudden reclusion worried her good friend Cream who was like a little sister to her. Amy didn't mean to ignore her or the rest of her friends during this hard time but her heartache and her profound guilt were overwhelming her.

As if on cue, Amy placed her hand over her mouth and quickly pulled the covers off of her. It was happening again. She was going to get sick. She quickly got up and stumbled as she tried to make her way to the bathroom. She practically fell on her knees as she leaned over and just barely made it in time to the toilet. Almost immediately she began to violently retch out the contents in her stomach while trying to take in short breaths. Due to having mostly water in her system she was practically dry heaving. After a couple of minutes her stomach finally relaxed and she took a moment to cough and take in steady breaths. It took Amy a moment before she could find the strength to stand and flushed the toilet. Sweating and feeling a bit faint, she made her way towards the sink to wash her face and rinse her mouth out.

Amy looked into the mirror and saw her reflection. What she saw staring back at her looked like an empty shell of her former self. Her quills were disheveled and her usually rosy pink fur was pale and sickly looking. She had bags under her reddened eyes from lack of sleep and the usual sparkle and gleam in her jade colored eyes was nonexistent leaving only a lifeless, dull, color in its place. Tears began to fill her eyes as the thoughts of Sonic and that horrible day began to replay throughout her mind again. She wiped them away hurriedly as she began dragging herself back to bed. Amy didn't think she would ever be happy again. Her happiness had been violently taken away from her and the worst part about it was it was all her fault. Half the reason why she ignored her friends was due to the fact she couldn't face them. Especially Tails.

When she had revealed the news to both him and Knuckles of Sonic's fate, Tails was speechless and in utter disbelief. He refused to believe that Sonic could have fallen in defeat to Eggman of all people. He refused to believe anything terrible could have happened to his beloved big brother. He shook his head in denial refusing to take in anything she had to say to either of them. Tails had gotten angry at her and even called her a liar. That hurt Amy more than he'll ever know but she didn't blame him. She didn't think he would _ever_ forgive her for this. The plane ride home was an awkward and silent one. Knuckles had surprisingly been the strong one out of all of them. His eyes were soft and he tried his hardest to make an unreadable expression but even Amy could tell he was hurting badly on the inside. Once Tails had landed the plane on the runway outside of his workshop he broke down and cried. He was hysterical and his reaction was almost identical to Amy's initial one.

Knuckles had to help escort Tails inside the house and it was he who had to break the news to the rest of their friends. Knuckles had earned a whole new respect from Amy. His inner strength and support through all of this awed her. He was able to keep his sadness and grief locked away in order to help support his friends in their time of need and Amy commended him for that. Though Knuckles didn't show it, she knew how much he cared about Sonic. She knew how much this must have been hurting him too.

Amy crawled back into her bed and snuggled amongst her warm woolen blankets. She curled herself into a little ball and huddled as she tried to suppress a new batch of tears that were threatening her eyes. Her heart ached so badly. Even her dreams were haunted with nightmares of Sonic's death. She could still hear his pain filled screams and see the look of sheer agony etched onto his usually carefree and smiling face. She shivered and dried her dampened eyes on her pillow. She closed her eyes as a sudden heaviness began to overtake her and the last thing she thought before drifting off into a deep sleep was that she will never know happiness again.

* * *

It was pouring outside downtown Westopolis. Some streets were becoming flooded and the majority of civilians had taken cover elsewhere leaving the sidewalks vacant and empty. The cold rain gave the city a gloomy, misty and ghostly effect as fog filled the air. Leaning against a wall in a back alley not too far from G.U.N headquarters was an ebony hedgehog with sharp crimson eyes. He sighed heavily before taking another long drag of his lit cigarette. Shadow was growing tired of waiting and felt the urge to leave but the dire situation at hand kept him planted right in place.

"You should really quit smoking. It's bad for you, ya know." An alluring voice purred from behind him. Shadow already knowing who the owner of the voice was, turned around with an agitated look upon his face.

"Humph…don't count on it." He dismissed quickly as he crossed his arms. "Do you have any concept of time?" He asked in frustration.

Rouge smiled seductively. "What's the matter Shadow? Miss me too much?" She said flirtatiously as she traced two of her fingers through his chest fur. Shadow's frown deepened and he pulled himself further away from her.

"Knock it off. This is serious." He said in annoyance. Rouge let her hand drop to her side and cut the act. Her face immediately grew stern. "Alright, fine. Perhaps this will make things up to you." She said as she held a Chaos Emerald in front of him.

Shadow eyed the gray and lifeless gem with great concern and suspicion. "It's just as I suspected. This emerald looks exactly the same as the one I have on me right now." He said as he placed his cigarette in his mouth and took his own emerald out to compare them.

Rouge looked at him feeling truly perplexed. "What do you think this means? Could it have anything to do with what happened to Sonic?" Shadow was silent for a moment as he continued inspecting the powerless Chaos Emeralds. He couldn't even feel any energy within or around them. "…I'm not sure but I think it may have to do with the Master Emerald more so than Sonic." He stated.

The two of them grew silent for a moment as Shadow tossed one of the powerless emeralds back to Rouge. "You're the one who's always hanging around that Guardian; did he ever tell you anything about the Master Emerald that could explain what's happening with the Chaos Emeralds?"

Rouge shook her head. "The only thing I know is that the Master Emerald has the power to neutralize and control the Chaos Emeralds." Shadow shook his head as he took another inhale of his cigarette. "It doesn't make any sense…" He said in bafflement as smoke filled the air. "I can usually draw Chaos energy without even having an emerald but now I can't even do that."

After taking one last drag, Shadow flicked his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. "The doctor must have done something to the Master Emerald. Did anyone see what happened?"

"Knuckles said Amy was there but-" Shadow cut her off midsentence. "Then I guess it's time we paid Rose a visit." He said as he looked towards the street ahead of them. The rain had finally let up for the time being but thunder could still be heard in the distance. Without further hesitation, Shadow left the alley with Rouge following close behind.

* * *

Shadow banged hastily on Amy Rose's front door. He was beginning to feel impatient from receiving no answer. Rouge wore a sympathetic expression. "Maybe we should give her some more time…" She suggested. She knew how much Amy cared for Sonic. Everyone did. She could only imagine the heartache and pain Amy must be feeling right now.

"Don't you understand? We don't have time." Shadow said feeling truly frustrated now as he turned to look at her.

"Shadow…how could you be so cold about-" Shadow immediately cut her off.

"Don't patronize me Rouge!" He shouted as he shut his eyes.

Rouge was taken aback by Shadow's sudden burst of anger. Usually she wouldn't care so much about how others are feeling or what they were going through. She was always more concerned with her own desires and needs as selfish as that sounded. But even she was affected by Sonic's sudden demise. When Knuckles broke the news to her she was shocked and at a loss for words. Never had she thought Sonic would ever fail at anything let alone _Eggman_ of all people being the one to do him in. She would never show or admit it but Sonic's death affected her too.

Shadow turned his back to her. "I know all too well how it feels…to lose someone close to you." He said in a soft and quiet voice.

Rouge's eyes grew soft. She knew who he was referring to. "Shadow-" She started but stopped as Shadow turned the knob on the door finding the door unlocked. Without acknowledging her, he stepped inside the home uninvited and Rouge had no choice but to follow. The two walked inside the usually warm, welcoming, and pleasant home which now felt cold, dark, and depressing. All the lights were turned off and the thunder and darkening sky outside made the house feel much more decrepit and eerie than it should have been. The house was unkempt with a sink stacked with unwashed dishes, clothes and garbage scattered across the floor, and the house itself didn't smell very fresh or clean. Rouge wrinkled her nose in disgust at the sight. If her house looked _this_ bad she was almost afraid to see how Amy herself was looking right now.

"Amy…?" Rouge called out softly. She waited for some type of response but received none. "Amy, are you home?" She tried again beginning to feel a little anxious. The house continued to remain silent. All Rouge or Shadow could hear aside from thunder booming in the distance was Amy's refrigerator humming quietly in the kitchen. Now Rouge was starting to get really worried. Amy wouldn't try hurting herself would she? Was she that crazily in love with Sonic? Before her mind could wander any further on different possible scenarios Shadow took the initiative to ascend the staircase. Rouge wordlessly followed along still feeling a bit unnerved.

As Shadow reached the top he looked around the hallway still finding no signs of life. "Maybe she's just not home." Rouge figured as she glanced down the hall at the open bedroom. The door was open halfway and she could see an unmade and messy bed through the darkness. Shadow shook his head in disagreement. "No, look." He pointed towards a closed door. They both could see the light on through the bottom crack. Just as Shadow was about to say something the sounds of coughing filled his and Rouge's ears. They both looked at one another before turning their attention to the door. The violent coughing seemed to continue for a few more moments until the flush of a toilet was heard.

"_Was she throwing up?" _Rouge wondered to herself. She looked at Shadow who looked like he was unsure what to do from here. The bathroom door suddenly opened revealing a very tired and sickly looking Amy Rose. Her eyes grew wide the moment she noticed the two shadows standing before her and let out a scream. She stumbled backwards and fell to the bathroom floor with a thud and yelped in pain. "Rose?" Shadow said gently. Rouge quickly found the light switch in the hallway and flipped it on.

As the lights came on Amy had to close her eyes to allow herself to adjust to the sudden brightness. She blinked a few times before looking up to see Shadow and Rouge standing in front of the bathroom threshold. She looked at them in confusion. "Shadow…Rouge…What are you two doing here?"

"We came to see how you were holding up." Rouge fibbed. Shadow on the other hand, got straight to the point. Blunt as usual. "Rose, we need to talk with you. It's important." He stated as he held his hand out for her to take. After hesitating for a moment Amy gently grasped it and allowed him to pull her up. "About what? What's wrong?" She asked in worry. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and Shadow could see the sadness deep within them. He wasn't sure why but seeing her in such a sorry state really bothered him.

Shadow sighed. "We need you to tell us what happened that day with Sonic." Amy pulled her hand away as though it were on fire and shook her head. Tears were already forming in her eyes and she looked away from them. "No." She said firmly. "What? Why not?" Shadow said in exasperation. He reached out for her but she backed further away still looking down and shaking her head.

Rouge watched the scene quietly feeling a bit sorry for the poor hedgehog. She looked awful. A visible tear rolled down Amy's cheek as she looked back up into Shadow's crimson eyes. "I-I'm sorry…but I can't…" She said quietly before quickly rushing past them.

"I told you she needed more time! She's not ready yet Shadow. It's too sudden." Rouge exclaimed as she left to follow where Amy had run off to.

Shadow grunted in frustration. "We don't have time for this Rouge! Don't you understand what's going to happen if we don't hurry?" He shouted as he followed after her.

"Of course I do! But badgering her won't help us get anywhere." Rouge yelled in annoyance. Shadow's being really insensitive about this despite going through a similar experience himself. She understood the situation but even she knew when to let things go.

"Amy!" She called after her as she ran down the stairs. Sobbing filled their ears as they looked to see Amy sitting on her couch with her hands over her face. Rouge felt a tug on her heart strings. She walked over to the now hysterical hedgehog and sat on the couch next to her. She wrapped her arms around Amy and pulled her into a strong embrace and allowed her to cry. "It's okay Amy…Just let it all out." She said in a soothing, soft voice. Amy hugged onto her friend tightly and cried.

Shadow quietly walked up to the two young women suddenly feeling a bit awkward. "Rose, I-"

"Please…" Amy sobbed into Rouge's shoulder. "L-leave me alone…" She choked.

Now it was Shadow's turn to feel a bit of remorse. He had never seen Amy looking so distraught before. He had always seen her so happy and bubbly. She was always optimistic and hopeful; she never gave up on anyone or anything. Now here she was looking completely broken. He opened his mouth to say something but found himself with nothing to left to say.

A couple of minutes passed as Rouge continued to comfort Amy to the best of her ability. She rocked her slowly back and forth while rubbing her back in a soothing manner. Shadow just stood in front of the two with his arms crossed. Amy began to quiet down somewhat just sniffling every now and then. The loud growling of her stomach suddenly got everyone's attention and she pulled away from Rouge bashfully.

"Sorry…" She whispered as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Rouge looked at Amy closely and noticed just how frail and sickly she really looked. "Hon…have you been eating?" Amy looked away feeling a bit ashamed. "I…" She trailed off. "I haven't been really hungry." She stated softly. Rouge looked at Amy sympathetically until she found herself with an idea, one that will help not just Amy but Shadow as well.

"Well…it sounds like you're hungry now. Why don't we get a bite to eat hm? It'll be my treat." Rouge suggested in a much lighter and cheery tone.

"I…I don't know…I-I haven't been really feeling well and-" Amy stammered before abruptly being cut off.

Rouge grabbed Amy's hand and stood up, pulling Amy up close beside her. "I'm not taking no for an answer. You need to eat and get out of this house! Locking yourself up in your room all day isn't good for you." Rouge reasoned. There was no way Amy was going to try and talk herself out of this.

"I-I'm fine…Really! I am…I was just going to make myself some tea when-" She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence for the second time as Rouge dragged her towards the front door. Shadow watched the scene perplexed. Rouge was up to something he just wasn't sure what. Nevertheless, he saw Amy's jacket sitting on the hook by the front door and grabbed it. He tossed it her way as she looked at the two of them with wide eyes. All she wanted to do was crawl back into bed.

Rouge opened the front door and noticed the weather beginning to act up again. The winds were starting to pick up and thunder was becoming much louder. Amy looked at the weather then back to her friends with questioning eyes. Were they _really_ going to go through this weather just to get lunch? "We better leave now before it starts to rain again." Rouge announced as she took hold of Amy's hand and pulled her outside. Shadow followed along close behind and shut her front door. Amy couldn't believe what just happened.

* * *

They had gone all the way to the Central District of Station Square just to get a bite to eat. They had made it just in time before the rain to a small but popular burger joint known as The Burger Shop. The quiet and quaint little diner had a 60's theme to it. The floors were checkered red and white with matching red booths, tables, and seats. There was even a milkshake bar with red swivel chairs. Oldies music played through an old jukebox in the corner of the restaurant which really set up the feel of the theme. Even the employees wore matching red and white uniforms with white wedged caps. The three of them had decided on a booth near the window and were currently looking through menu's deciding what to order.

Amy was thankful the diner was nearly deserted due to the weather. She felt terrible and knew she looked it too. She twirled her straw in her glass of water absentmindedly as she watched the rain hitting the window beside her. She felt flattered that Rouge and even Shadow wanted to try and cheer her up but she really just wished to go back home and hide amongst her warm woolen blankets. She was a little afraid to eat anything. Her stomach has been so upset lately even when she hardly ate anything. Rouge watched Amy sigh sadly while transfixed on the weather outside and decided to try and distract her for the time being. If she didn't she knew the pink hedgehog would burst into tears soon enough.

"Amy, do you know what you're going to order?" She asked as she inspected her manicured nails. Amy shook her head as she turned her attention back to the menu sitting on the table in front of her. Shadow was staring intensely at Amy just waiting for the right opportunity to ask her what he desperately wanted to know. Rouge had clued him in on what she was up to when Amy wasn't paying much attention. Once Amy was full and had enough to eat, cheered up, and was distracted enough, he'll try and ask her again. Maybe then she'll cooperate. If not, then all hell would break lose. She was the only key they had to this puzzle and he wasn't going to leave after all of this empty handed.

Amy studied the menu trying to find something to her liking. As she read each option she felt her stomach growling more than it already was. Each selection made her mouth water and she realized just how hungry she really was. It's been a while since she had a decent meal. As she thumbed through the menu one particular selection caught her eye. She wasn't sure why but she had a strong craving and desire to have it. She found herself picking out other sides to go along with it that will satisfy her.

"Ok…I'm ready." Amy announced as she placed her menu back down on the table.

Rouge was just going to have something light. She only went to the diner to get Amy out of the house anyway. Shadow on the other hand, didn't really care what he had to eat just as long as he got Amy to give him the information he required he would be satisfied.

A waiter approached their table with a bright smile and whipped out a pad and pen. "Are you guys ready to order?" The male grey wolf asked with great enthusiasm. Amy nodded with a faint smile while Shadow and Rouge both said "Yes." in unison.

"I'm just gonna have a Caesar salad. Gotta watch my figure ya know." Rouge said as she winked at the wolf with a flirty smile. He blushed faintly as he scribbled down her order and turned his attention to the ebony hedgehog beside her. "And for you Sir?"

"I'll just have anything." Shadow said nonchalantly. The waiter looked at him strangely unsure what to do or say. "Um…" Surprisingly, it was Amy who tossed out a suggestion. "Why not try the chocolate milkshake? It looks pretty good." Shadow nodded and turned his attention back to the grey wolf. "I'll take that then." He confirmed.

The waiter added his order and turned his attention to the pink hedgehog. "And for you miss?" Amy was a little hesitant at first before giving her order. "Umm…Can I have three chilidogs, an extra side of fries, some union rings…mmm…the chicken nuggets look pretty good too…Oh! And may I have a chocolate milkshake as well? It really sounds good!" Amy exclaimed with a bright and excited smile.

The waiter as well as Shadow and Rouge looked at Amy with wide stunned eyes. "Are you sure you can eat all of that…?" The waiter asked nervously. Amy smiled sheepishly and felt her face flush. She nodded slowly before handing him back her menu. The waiter shakily took hers along with Rouge and Shadow's. "I'll be back with your orders shortly." He said in a hurry before heading off towards the kitchen.

Amy felt eyes burning into her as she suddenly found the table much more interesting. "I knew you were hungry…but not this much." Rouge exclaimed a bit breathlessly. Amy twiddled her fingers nervously as she tried to explain herself. She couldn't help it. She had such a strong desire to eat all those things. She wasn't really sure why herself.

"And since when did you like chilidogs?" Rouge asked suspiciously. Everyone knew that that was Sonic's favorite food. That simple fact alone brought back sadness to Amy when she was just starting to feel a little better for a while. "…I honestly never tried one before." Amy said softly. Rouge looked at her strangely. Amy was acting a little weird and she wasn't exactly sure what to think.

When their food arrived Shadow and Rouge couldn't help but watch as the waiter placed the various trays with Amy's orders all around her. Her orders alone took up half the table. "Thank you." Amy politely said as she glanced down at her order of three chilidogs. She picked one of them up timidly and stared at it for a moment. She always did wonder why Sonic liked these so much. _"I wonder what he would say if he saw me trying one…" _She thought to herself sadly. She bet he would be excited and happy especially if she ended up really liking it.

She cautiously brought the spicy hotdog up to her mouth and closed her eyes. She slowly took a small bite and chewed. Within seconds her eyes opened and grew wide as she swallowed. "Wow! This tastes amazing!" She exclaimed excitedly. Shadow and Rouge exchanged looks. Before either of them could blink, Amy was taking larger bites and literally scarfing her meal down. "Mmm…" She smiled in delight. The way she was eating, she looked like a female version of Sonic himself.

Shadow watched Amy as she continued picking at her fries and onion rings. Boy could this girl eat. Rouge finished her salad feeling slightly disgusted at watching Amy. Never in her life did she see a girl eat so much. After having not said very much since he left the house, Shadow decided it was time to cut to the chase.

"Feeling better now Rose?" He asked, already knowing his answer. Amy looked up at him and nodded. "Thanks…you guys. This really did cheer me up." Shadow couldn't help but feel his spirits lift slightly. It was good to see Amy acting more like the bubbly self he had grown so accustomed to. He frowned a bit, knowing his next set of words would most likely shatter her current happiness.

He pulled out his powerless Chaos Emerald and placed it on the table in front of her. Amy let out a gasp as she looked at the gem in awe and confusion. "Is…Is that a Chaos Emerald?" She asked, reaching her hand out to touch it. Shadow nodded. "What's wrong with it?" Amy asked feeling a little worried.

"Well Rose, I was hoping you would have the answer to that." Amy looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Shadow sighed. "Ever since that day with the doctor…the Chaos Emeralds have lost their power. You were the only one who saw what happened." Amy frowned and looked down at the empty trays in front of her. "Oh…" She said quietly.

"I need to know exactly what happened. What did the doctor do to the Master Emerald?" Rouge watched silently and turned her attention to Amy who looked like she was again fighting back tears. Amy shook her head as tears brim her eyes. "I-I don't know…" She whispered honestly.

"Tell me what you saw." Shadow pushed for answers. He wasn't trying to make her upset but he honestly needed to know. Amy shut her eyes tight and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She felt her body shaking and her stomach was starting to feel uneasy again.

"Shadow…" Rouge felt this wasn't a good idea after all.

"I-I don't want to remember! Amy shouted suddenly as she placed her hands over her face. She started crying again and Shadow felt a mixture of frustration and guilt.

"You don't understand! If we don't act now the doctor will-" Amy cut him off as a fit of fury suddenly overcame her. She pulled her hands away from her face and looked at him angrily.

"NO! You don't understand!" Amy yelled as she stood up. "It's _my_ entire fault Sonic's gone! The beam was meant for me! Not him! ME!" Her eyes welled with fresh new tears. "I-I was forced to stand there and watch him die right in front of me…" Amy's anger broke down as she began to cry hysterically. Rouge's eyes widened as did Shadow's. "T-That's what…what I saw…" Amy hid her face in her hands again as she wept.

By now she had unintentionally attracted the attention of several employees within the diner who were now staring at her with concern. Amy felt the food she had only just eaten beginning to churn within her stomach and wiped at her eyes hurriedly. The bile was finding its way in her throat again and she instantly knew she was going to be sick. Amy placed a hand over her mouth and without any warning ran as fast as she could to the nearest restroom.

* * *

"Amy?" Rouge called as she ran into the bathroom. The sounds of vomiting filled her ears from one of the middle stalls. Amy choked as she tried to find time to take in breaths of fresh air. Her throat was burning and her stomach twisted in pain; getting sick hurt so much more now that she actually had food in her system to regurgitate. Rouge waited patiently for Amy to finish and tried her hardest not to feel sick herself. She was worried for the pink hedgehog now. Something was seriously wrong here. No amount of depression can make someone throw up as much as she seems to be doing. It suddenly fell silent and a flush was heard not to long afterwards. Amy opened the stall door and had tears in her eyes. She was breathing heavily and was leaning over with a hand on her stomach in pain.

"Rouge…I-I think something's wrong with me…" She stuttered weakly. Rouge walked over to her and placed both her hands on her shoulders. "Come on." Rouge said in a soothing voice. She helped lead Amy towards the bathroom sink to let her wash her face. Amy rinsed her face with warm water and tried to regain her composure. As Amy relaxed Rouge stood in deep thought trying to figure out what was wrong with her. "I-I'm scared." Amy whispered softly. She originally thought that her upset stomach was centered on her lack of food intake and stress but it's starting to appear to be much more than that.

"It'll be alright Amy. I'm sure it's nothing serious." Rouge tried to reassure her.

Amy looked down at the floor and fiddled with her fingers nervously. Rouge coughed uncomfortably as she tried to solve this mystery and cheer up the sullen hedgehog. "It's probably just a stomach bug…or the fact that you're so stressed out right now." She reasoned as she quickly inspected herself in the mirror.

Amy shook her head in disagreement. "No…I don't think that's it…"

Rouge turned to look at her. "Well, what do you think it is?"

Amy rubbed her arm as she tried to provide herself some form of comfort. "I-I don't know…" Amy's mind swam with possible reasons all of which terrified her. Was she terminally ill? Was she dying? Perhaps it was food poisoning?

She was pulled away from her thoughts as Rouge spoke once more. "How about this, why don't you tell me what else you've been feeling besides an upset stomach and I'll try and figure it out."

"A-alright…Umm…Well…I feel tired a lot and I get frequent headaches." Amy admitted.

This was getting Rouge nowhere. This could be anything. It's too vague of information. "Is that all? What about when you get sick? When do you feel like vomiting the most?" Rouge was beginning to feel like a personal physician.

"In the mornings. Mostly right when I wake up." Amy said without hesitation.

Rouge took a moment to think. _"So there's headaches, fatigue, and nausea…" _Her mind suddenly wandered back to Amy's strange behavior mostly earlier in the diner when she ordered all that food. _"Increased appetite…?" _Then she recalled Amy's sudden desire to eat specific things off the menu some of which she admitted she'd never even tried before. _"Cravings…" _Rouge's eyes grew wide when the only logical explanation crossed her mind. _"No…It couldn't be that! Definitely not that! This is Amy Rose here!"_

Rouge had to shake her head to dismiss the very thought of that possibility. She inwardly laughed at the ridiculousness of even considering it in the first place. Rouge failed to notice Amy had been watching her intently and looked to see her with a very worried expression.

"What is it? What do you think it is?" She asked anxiously.

"It's…nothing. I don't know why I even thought of it." Rouge dismissed, fully confident that her assumptions were totally wrong and misguided.

"Please tell me!" Amy pleaded.

Rouge had to laugh slightly. "Alright but I already know this isn't what it is." Amy looked at Rouge eagerly. She was so afraid of what might be wrong with her.

"Well, the only thing I can think of when I look at your symptoms is _pregnancy_ and you and I both know that can't be it."

Rouge expected Amy to immediately deny that idea and move on to the next possibility but what she saw instead surprised her greatly. Amy let out a soft gasp and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. Her hand instinctively landed on her flat stomach and she looked down at it in wonder. Her expression looked like a mixture of surprise, fear, sadness, and remembrance. Rouge distinctly noticed a light blush on her pale muzzle and noticed Amy looked away from her as if she were embarrassed or ashamed.

_Oh God. _

Rouge's eyes grew wide. "…Amy…?" Tears began to fill Amy's eyes as she slowly slid down to the floor in shock. Rouge knelt down in front of her and studied her face. "Amy…that can't be it, can it?" This certainly took Rouge by surprise. Amy looked away as she began to cry. Rouge was unsure of what to say as she was still trying to get over her initial shock.

"When…When did _this_ happen?" Rouge breathed in astonishment.

"A week before the incident…" Amy whispered, refusing to meet Rouge's gaze.

Rouge couldn't believe what she was hearing. Since when was Amy of all people sexually active? And with who, the only person she could think of was…

"Sonic…" Amy whimpered sadly. She pulled her knees close to her chest and hugged them. "If it were any other time…I would be extremely happy…but…S-Sonic's gone…and I'm all alone…" Amy began to sob. "I'm so scared…" She cried almost inaudibly.

Rouge pulled Amy into a tight embrace. "No, you're not alone Amy. You have all your friends who will support you." Rouge said comfortingly.

"Please…promise you won't tell anyone." Amy pleaded to her.

"Amy, they are going to find out eventually." Rouge stated to her. "It's kind of hard to hide a suddenly large belly from your friends."

"I-I know…just for now…I'm not ready for anyone to know…" Amy whispered as she wiped her tears with her glove.

Rouge's curiosity was on haywire. There were so many questions booming in her head at that very moment. Since when were Sonic and Amy even together? Throughout the years as far as she could see it was a one sided crush Amy had for the blue blur. Now all of a sudden Amy's possibly baring his unborn child?

Then an uncharacteristic hint of anger fueled through Rouge. "How could you guys be so irresponsible?" She yelled in a raised voice, making Amy flinch. Rouge felt mostly angry with Sonic more so than Amy. Sonic was three years older than her and should have known better. When Amy remained silent Rouge continued. "Didn't he have any sense at all? At least have the smarts to wear a rubber!" She shrieked. "…What's that…? Amy asked timidly. Rouge wanted to face palm. "…Never mind."

The two young women were quiet for a few minutes. Rouge continued to soothe Amy through a strong and comforting hug. Amy's cries quieted down to sniffles and she appeared to be thinking hard about something. Rouge knew she must be worried and scared about their uncertain future. "Amy, it's going to be alright." She reassured. Amy merely nodded silently. In a way, Rouge felt a little happy. She and Amy were never really close nor did they ever talk to each other much. Today was probably the first day she spent actual time with the pink hedgehog and she had to admit it wasn't half bad.

Rouge decided to try and lighten the mood, for Amy's sake. "Well, at least now I know why you ordered all those chilidogs." A soft, muffled giggle was heard from Amy as she laid her head on Rouge's shoulder. It was the first time she had laughed since the day Sonic left her life. Rouge smiled from her minor success. What a surprising revelation this turned out to be.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the bathroom door stood an ebony hedgehog with crimson eyes. He had gotten up to check on the girls after the scene at the table only to overhear information that left him speechless. _"Rose is pregnant?"_


	3. Hostile Takeover

_**I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter. This was probably the most difficult chapter I've ever had to write for any of the stories I've written thus far. It is packed with so much content. I had to spend a lot of time thinking about how I wanted to do this chapter which was also why it took so long. Now everything should be smooth sailing since I have a better idea of how I want the other chapters to go. It was mainly this chapter that was a real road block and I feel a tremendous amount of relief and self satisfaction for finally finishing it. I hope it meets everyone's expectations and again I apologize for the long wait.**_

* * *

**Chapter Three – Hostile Takeover**

* * *

Club Rouge was considered one of the hottest night clubs in downtown Westopolis. It was well known for its live entertainment, lounge, full bar, and had some of the best exotic dancers any money could buy. The night club was two stories high with the exception of the top third floor which served as Rouge's apartment. Neon lights flooded the club and served as its primary lighting aside from red, green, and blue strobe lights which illuminated the club from the dance floor. The large dance floor was already crowded with people dancing in front of a large stage with a DJ mixing the latest hit songs for the evening. Around the dance stage and nearest to the bar were the exotic dancers entertaining male patrons as they danced seductively around the poles they dominated. Working at the bar that evening was none other than Rouge herself. She was in the midst of mixing her latest customer's drink but it was obvious her mind was clearly elsewhere. The events that took place just a couple of hours earlier were continuing to replay in her mind. After the shocking news from Amy in the bathroom, Rouge decided to let Amy spend the evening at her place. She didn't feel right having her go back home by herself and she took this as an opportunity to help Amy out and see if she really was pregnant.

Rouge had gone out and bought Amy a pregnancy test to confirm their suspicions and to her surprise it was really true. Amy Rose was indeed baring the unborn child of Sonic the Hedgehog. Rouge was still having a hard time believing that Sonic and Amy had become sexually active with each other. When the Hell did this happen and why was she of all people unable to notice it? There was no denying it though as her gaze fell on the test that read positive in her sobbing companions' hands. Usually she wouldn't be so concerned in other people's troubles and would be concentrating more on herself but she found that she had a soft spot for Amy like that of an older sister. After the devastating news regarding Sonic's untimely demise she found herself growing softer especially since his death greatly affected her too. She hoped that Amy was doing alright by herself. She felt a little guilty leaving the despondent hedgehog all alone but she had a club to run. Rouge found herself bombarding Amy with questions regarding her and Sonic's relationship but Amy was very secretive and private about it giving her very little information and details. She always imagined Amy would tell everybody every single detail regarding her and Sonic but apparently she was very wrong.

Rouge was so wrapped up in her thoughts she failed to notice the new customer who sat down at the bar right in front of her. "How's Rose doing?" A dark, husky voice asked.

Startled from her thoughts, Rouge looked up to meet Shadow's striking crimson orbs. "You always like to show up when people least expect it don't you?" She asked him with slight irritation in her voice.

Shadow merely glared at her but patiently waited for her answer to his question. Rouge sighed while grabbing him a glass and poured it with his usual alcoholic beverage. "She managed to stop crying if that's what you mean." She stated while handing him his drink.

Shadow eagerly took the glass and took a quick sip before putting the glass down. "So, she's okay now?" He asked again.

"Why the sudden interest in Amy's welfare?" She asked him curiously. Just a couple of hours ago he was only concerned with the Chaos Emeralds and Dr. Eggman.

Shadow just shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of his drink. His expression remained mysterious and unreadable. "I was just wondering…that's all." He said calmly. Rouge raised her eyebrow and looked at him quizzically but said nothing. "Whatever you say…" She said knowing full well he wasn't being completely honest with her.

The truth was Shadow was feeling a bit guilty for making Amy even more upset today than she already was. He wasn't exactly sure why her unhappiness really bothered him but it did. What was really weighing heavy on his mind, however, was the conversation Rouge and Amy were having in the diner's bathroom that he accidentally overheard. Was she really pregnant with Sonic's child? He was hoping Rouge would elaborate and give him some details regarding this matter. Neither spoke for a couple of minutes as Shadow sat deep in thought and Rouge continued pouring drinks for various customers. She looked over in his direction again and noticed something was clearly bothering him. "What's really bothering you Shadow?" She asked him suddenly. He looked into her eyes and at first wasn't sure what he should say.

"I went back to G.U.N headquarters after what happened at the diner and we are unable to locate the doctor's current whereabouts. I have a feeling he's planning something big which is why I was so adamant about Rose cooperating with me and telling me any information that could tell me just what the Hell's going on." His grip tightened on his drink as he growled in slight frustration and continued. "Rouge, I have a feeling something is going to happen tomorrow."

Rouge looked at him seriously, suddenly feeling worried. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure exactly…but I can just sense it. When you finish work tonight, I suggest you get yourself prepared." He stated to her before finishing off his drink and setting the glass onto the bar table.

* * *

Amy laid in bed staring at the ceiling lost in deep thought. She could faintly hear the music blasting from the club downstairs and heard the busy noises of the streets through the apartment window. She pulled the foreign blanket up close to herself and snuggled as she tried to make herself comfortable. She wasn't used to the night life of the city and was having a difficult time falling asleep. Even if she was lying in her own comfy bed back at home she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Her thoughts were on Sonic and everything that has transpired over the past two weeks. Amy's jade eyes glistened and a light blush filled her cheeks as her hand subconsciously rubbed her flat stomach in a circular motion. She couldn't believe she was really pregnant. She and Sonic only made love together once. She didn't even think it was possible to become pregnant the first time. She found herself wondering what Sonic's reaction would have been if he were here. Would he be happy and excited to hear the news? Or would he feel upset and disappointed? Her mind continued to fill her with questions that will never have answers. A soft, muffled whimper escaped her lips as tears involuntarily began to well in her eyes and she hugged the blanket desperately yearning for warmth and comfort. How could things have turned out so badly? It wasn't supposed to be this way. Tears mercilessly soaked her pillow as she quietly wept to herself feeling her heart breaking all over again.

"Sonic…" She whimpered in utter despair. "Why did you have to leave me…?" She sobbed. Tears continued to spill from her eyes as she desperately tried wiping them away. "I'm scared…I don't want to be all alone…" She whispered, sounding like a vulnerable child. She wished her words could reach him and he would somehow return to her and wipe her tears away, telling her everything was going to be okay and that he loved her. She continued to sob inconsolably as she clutched the blanket and hugged it wishing she was in her cobalt hero's loving embrace. Ever since she was a little girl she dreamt of the day she would marry Sonic and have a family with him. She never would have imagined that he would end up leaving her pregnant, scared, and all alone. Everything felt like a horrible nightmare she could not awake from. As time passed, Amy eventually cried herself to sleep. Her face was wet and cold from her excessive crying and every so often she would whimper in her slumber resulting in a few loose tears escaping from her closed eyes.

_It was already late in the evening as Sonic stepped quietly inside Amy Rose's home. He knew by now she was either worried about him or furious with him. He began to blindly walk through the dark and silent living room and tried his best to avoid any furniture to quietly turn on the light. His gloved hand searched the wall slowly until he felt the light switch and flicked it on. He blinked a few times as his vision began to adjust to the newfound brightness that suddenly filled the room and began to look around. His emerald eyes quickly fell on the couch where he found Amy sleeping softly. Sonic couldn't resist a smile and slowly began approaching her. He quietly knelt down beside her so he was at her face level and began caressing her cheek softly. She looked so beautiful even when she was sleeping. Sonic contemplated on whether or not he should wake her. He had been dying to see her all day today and knew she felt the same way with him. He was pretty sure once she wakes up she'll be upset with him for not showing up to their special dinner. He couldn't help but inwardly chuckle. He always did find it really cute when she was angry at him._

_After coming up with a decision, Sonic carefully placed his hands underneath her body trying his best not to wake her and lifted her up bridal style. Amy stirred slightly as she readjusted herself in his strong yet gentle arms and laid her head against his chest. Sonic smiled to himself happily as he began to quietly ascend the staircase and towards Amy's bedroom. He walked blindly through the dark hallway going only by memory to find his way before finding her room. He carried her to her bed and placed her down gently before tucking her in and stopped for a moment to watch over her. He intertwined her hand with his and squeezed gently before bending down and giving her a soft peck on the lips. "Goodnight Amy…" He whispered into her ear softly. He let his hand slip away from hers as he quietly backed away from the bed and began to walk back towards the hallway. Just as he was about to pass through the bedroom threshold to leave for the evening her soft and beautiful voice filled his sensitive ears, stopping him dead in his tracks._

"…_Sonic…? Is that you…?" Amy whispered sleepily as she slowly sat up in bed. She let out a low yawn and rubbed her eyes before looking up at his dark, shadowy form. Sonic quickly turned around to face her. "Yeah, Ames…It's me." He whispered as he rushed back over to her. He couldn't help but feel a little happy that she awoke; he had been missing her all day. Amy crossed her arms and began to pout. "You're late." Sonic couldn't hold back a laugh as he leaned in to peck her on the lips once more. "I'm sorry. I got a little held up but I'm here now, right?" He whispered with a chuckle. Amy couldn't suppress a smile and giggled as she looked up into his gleaming emerald orbs. "You really missed out because tonight I made you your favorite." She teased. Sonic's eyes suddenly grew wide and he could feel his mouth beginning to water at the very thought of a chilidog. "R-Really…?" He asked, already wishing he wasn't late. "Mmhm." Sonic groaned._

"_You did save it for me….right Ames…?" He asked, hoping she'd say yes. "Maybe." She continued playfully. "Amy…" Sonic whined. Amy couldn't control her laughter. He was always so cute when he whined and acted like a child over something as silly as a chilidog. Sonic bent back down and quickly captured her lips with his own. Amy's eyes instantly fluttered shut as his lips molded hers softly and she began to quickly kiss him back with just as much affection. It's been so long since the two of them got to be alone like this and they relished every moment of it. Lately, with every kiss they shared, it has become increasingly more difficult for the two of them to part ways with one another. Amy felt herself getting lost in his sweet kiss and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Sonic's body suddenly stiffened and he winced in great pain. Noticing something was wrong Amy pulled away and looked up at him in confusion. "What's wrong?" She asked, beginning to worry. Sonic shook his head and faked a smile. "Nothing…I'm fine…" He said in a calm, smooth voice._

_Amy looked deep into his emerald orbs that showed a small hint of vulnerability and knew immediately that he was lying. She pulled away from him and leaned over to turn on the lamp which sat on her night stand. Sonic closed his eyes the moment the light filled the room and waited for them to adjust. He heard Amy gasp softly and her hand went up to cover her mouth. Sonic sighed in defeat as he reopened his eyes knowing full well he'd been caught red handed. "Sonic! You're hurt!" Amy exclaimed with deep concern. "It's nothing Amy…It's just a scratch." He tried to reassure her._

_Amy shook her head as tears began to brim her jade colored eyes. "It's not nothing…Look at you!" She cried. She couldn't take her eyes off of all the cuts, scratches, and bruises that covered the left side of his torso and his left arm. Sonic took both her hands in his and knelt down in front of her. "Amy…Let me explain…I…" Amy looked away from him feeling hurt. "You promised! You promised you wouldn't be so reckless!" A visible tear began rolling down her cheek and Sonic wiped it away with his thumb. He gently pulled her face towards him so she would look at him. "Amy…I'm sorry…" He whispered, his eyes becoming soft. Amy pulled herself away from him and crawled out of bed. "Let me get the first aid kit…" She whispered in a quiet, sad voice. Sonic frowned and ran a hand through his unruly quills. He knew she would be upset with him but this was something that he just couldn't control._

_Sonic fell backwards onto Amy's bed and took in a deep breath of air. He hated making her cry. It was the very last thing he ever wanted to do and he couldn't help but feel a little guilty whenever he unintentionally did. His ears twitched as he heard Amy reentering the room and sat up slightly. Amy walked silently up to him with a first aid kit in hand and sat down on the bed beside him. An awkward silence then filled the room as she opened the kit and began taking out medical supplies. Another thing Sonic hated besides making her cry was her giving him the silent treatment. He'd much rather have her yell at him or just like when they were kids smack him around with her Piko Piko Hammer. Sonic winced as she began wiping his wounds with an alcoholic cloth. "If you're hungry…I wrapped your chilidog and put it in the fridge…" She said quietly as she continued to dab the moist cloth on his exposed skin. "I can't eat now when you're mad at me…" He said in a low voice._

_Amy sighed and finally looked up at him. "I'm not mad…I'm just upset. I worry about you Sonic…and…you promised me you wouldn't be so careless." She removed the gauze and bandages from their packages and began to dress his chest wounds. "It was just a few robots Amy…nothing I can't handle." Sonic assured her as he gave her a small peck on the forehead. "If that was true then how come you're hurt?" She asked sadly as she began wrapping bandages around his left arm. Sonic looked away and was silent for a moment. "Heh...Okay…so maybe I slipped up a little this time." He chuckled lightly as he rubbed the back of his head feeling slightly embarrassed. "It's not funny…" Amy said softly as tears began to fill her eyes once more. "If something ever happened to you…I-I wouldn't know what I'd do…" Amy looked down as a few loose tears slipped down her cheeks. "Amy…" Sonic said softly as he lifted her chin up. "Nothing bad is gonna happen…I'm just fine. Do you honestly think that that old Egghead is going to stop me?" Amy slowly shook her head. "No…I guess not…" She couldn't even imagine the mere thought of that. Sonic was her cocky, confident, and loving hero who never lost to anyone. No matter how bad a situation got he always managed to save the day and come out unscathed. Regardless, she can't help herself but worry about him…She loved him and she just couldn't help it._

_The two hedgehogs grew silent as their eyes deeply searched one another's. Amy hardly noticed that she had finished wrapping the bandages around Sonic's arm and became hypnotized by Sonic's emerald orbs. His face grew soft and she could see all the love, passion, yearning, and affection he held for her in his expression. He gently cupped her face in his hands and began wiping her wet cheeks with his thumbs. Amy felt her heart pounding heavily into her chest as his very touch warmed her entire body. She felt herself becoming weak as overwhelming emotions began to take control of her. Sonic will never realize just how much power he had over her._

"_Sonic…" Amy whispered softly as she tried to control her rapidly beating heart._

"_Yeah, Ames…?" Sonic asked huskily as his thumbs continued to dry her wet face._

"_I love you…" She told him honestly. "I love you so much." Amy could feel her eyes moistening as she spoke how she felt._

_Sonic smiled at her tenderly. "I love you too Amy…" He said to her softly. _

_His eyes continued to search her own as he tried his hardest to control his raging emotions. There was no doubt about it. He wanted her. And as he looked deeply into her beautiful jade colored eyes he could see she felt the same. Without further hesitation, Sonic leaned forward and crashed his lips upon hers. The two began kissing one another passionately as though neither have seen nor kissed one another in years. Amy slowly wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands moved from her face and down to her shoulders. Sonic gently and slowly pushed her down against the mattress as his body hovered over her, his lips still attacking hers hungrily. After a while they reluctantly broke from their heated kiss for some much needed air and looked deep into each other's eyes. Their eyes were both filled with love and desire for one another. _

_Sonic kissed Amy on the forehead before moving down and kissing her on the cheek. Amy moved her arms down to his waist and hugged him tightly as he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. Her sweet, intoxicating scent of strawberries filled his nose as he began giving her neck small, soft kisses. Amy sighed in contentment as her fingers ran through his cobalt colored fur and tugged lightly on his back quills. His soft, warm lips found hers once more and it wasn't long until she felt his tongue tracing slowly along her lips asking for entrance. She opened her mouth slightly giving him permission and his tongue slipped eagerly inside. Their tongues danced around one another's as Sonic's hands began to slowly roam around Amy's body. A soft, muffled moan escaped her lips as she felt his hot breath against her face._

_Sonic's hands continued their exploration until they eventually reached the bottom trim of her red dress. He broke their sensual kiss and held himself up slightly and began to slowly lift her dress up. His emerald eyes never left her jade ones as he attempted to undress her wanting to make sure she was comfortable with his advances. Amy sat herself up and began giving Sonic small kisses as she helped him pull her dress over her head. Sonic tossed her dress to the bedroom floor and wrapped his arms around her nearly bare body. The two of them could feel their hearts beating heavily against one another's chests as they kissed passionately and it wasn't long before all of their clothing and garments were removed and laying carelessly on the bedroom floor. Sonic placed his hands back onto Amy's shoulders and gently pushed her back down against the mattress. He started giving her soft, loving kisses as his hands began to feel around her soft, bare skin. Amy felt breathless and wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. Her whole body felt as though it were on fire with every sensual touch he gave her. "Sonic…" She managed breathlessly. He broke away from their heavy kiss and started adjusting himself above her. Sonic looked down at Amy's bare form and couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she was. He gave her a sheepish smile followed by a peck on the lips. "You're so beautiful Amy…" He whispered to her softly. Amy felt her cheeks flush and smiled up at him._

_With one single motion the two suddenly took their relationship to a whole new level and became as one. Amy sunk her hands deep into Sonic's back and moaned softly. He quickly bent down and captured her lips with his own giving her tender, sweet kisses and trying to alleviate any discomfort she may be feeling. Amy didn't think it was possible to love Sonic any more than she already did but as they made love, she found herself falling more and more in love with him. He was so gentle…so loving, and sweet. He took things slow and kissed and touched her in all the right places. He treated her as though she were made of porcelain glass that could easily shatter at any moment. As they finished, Sonic collapsed on top of her in a heap of exhaustion. Both he and Amy were panting out of breath feeling hot and sweaty. He kissed her lips softly and caressed her cheek before slowly pulling away. "I-I love you…" He whispered breathlessly. Amy smiled as tears welled in her eyes. "I love you too!" She exclaimed as she hugged him tightly. They continued to share sweet, tender kisses together as they tried catching their breaths. Eventually, Sonic moved from on top of her to lie down on his side. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her in a tight embrace. Amy couldn't control the tears of pure joy that continued to spill from her eyes. She never felt so happy in her entire life. "Don't cry…" Sonic whispered as he gave her gentle kisses and wiped her tears away. "I-I'm just so happy!" Amy sobbed as she snuggled into his chest._

_Sonic brushed her messy bangs out of her face and kissed the top of her head. He cradled her tightly in his arms and continued to kiss and caress her affectionately as the two of them began to relax in each other's arms. Sonic played with her quills and continued to wipe stray tears away whenever he saw any. Amy giggled softly and kissed the tip of his nose lovingly. He took her hand in his and intertwined his fingers with hers as the two of them continued to look happily into one another's eyes. It was unbelievable how far their relationship has gone and how much it's grown over the years. Ever since Sonic was no more than eleven years old he secretly harbored affections for Amy but he never let her know that. Their early relationship mostly dealt with him running away from her and her chasing after him pleading for just one date. Now look where they were. When Sonic looked into Amy's eyes he no longer saw the little twelve year old girl who used to chase him around all the time. Now when he looked at her he saw a beautiful, mature, young woman. He saw the love of his life. After a while Sonic was beginning to find it difficult to keep his eyes open. When he looked over at Amy he noticed her eyes had already closed and she was nearly asleep herself. He smiled sleepily and held her tightly in his arms. "I promise I'll always protect you Amy…" He whispered wearily. As exhaustion took its toll on him, Sonic no longer had the strength to stay awake and slowly closed his eyes._

* * *

The sounds of loud explosions startled Amy from her deep slumber. She shot up in bed in a fright and looked around the room as she began hearing people screaming from outside. She felt the apartment beginning to shake as a couple more explosions suddenly went off sounding closer than the first batch she had heard. Amy stumbled out of bed and quickly put on her boots and grabbed her hammer that was leaning against the nightstand. Another powerful explosion went off causing her to be knocked to the bedroom floor. The building began to shake fiercely and she could see flying debris and smoke appearing in front of the window. Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open and Rouge came running inside towards the dazed hedgehog.

"Rouge, what's happening?" Amy asked her in a panic.

"Come on! We have to get out of here right now!" Rouge shouted as she quickly grabbed the disoriented pink hedgehog's wrist and ran out of the room.

"W-Wait!" Amy cried in confusion as Rouge continued to pull her.

When they exited her apartment and entered the main hallway they noticed the power beginning to fail in the building. The electricity began to dim and fade and the elevator was no longer functioning. Rouge's eyes quickly fell on the emergency exit door. "This way!" Rouge yelled as she tugged Amy towards the door. They began to quickly race down the stairs as fast as they could. Another explosion suddenly went off causing the whole building to heavily shake. The sound was loud, deafening, and too close for comfort. Both girls were knocked mercilessly to the hard floor. Amy winced in pain and she nearly fell down the rest of the stairs.

"Amy!" Rouge gasped as she quickly pulled her back to her feet.

As the two girls escaped the ruined building that had once been Rouge's flourishing business and home they witnessed what looked like an apocalyptic version of Westopolis. Amy gasped in horror as her jade colored eyes saw the utter chaos that was unfolding right in front of her. Half the city was already in complete ruins and debris littered the ground. People were running and screaming as they ran off in different directions desperate to find safety and shelter. Smoke and dust from the explosions and destroyed buildings heavily filled the air causing Amy and Rouge to both violently cough. When Amy looked up into the darkening sky she could see what looked like hundreds of air fleets flying in formation baring the Eggman insignia on their side. Her eyes widened in horror. Eggman was attacking the city. Rouge quickly grabbed Amy's wrist and began running amongst the other terrified Westopolis citizens to find cover.

"W-Where are we going?" Amy panted as she struggled to keep up with Rouge.

"We have to find Shadow and get out of here!" Rouge yelled to her as she kept a firm grip on her wrist.

Amy was beginning to feel sick and tired. Her stomach was in knots and the urge to get sick was growing greater. She was trying to desperately keep up with Rouge but wasn't sure how much more running she could possibly handle. An ear piercing noise suddenly filled their sensitive ears as a homing missile collided with an unsuspecting building a few feet ahead. The powerful blast knocked Amy, Rouge, and all the terrified people around them several feet back to the hard ground. Debris began to fall like rain and a large cloud of dust and smoke began to fill the air obscuring everybody's vision. All Amy could see were people running and screaming in various directions amongst the thick layer of smoke.

"Rouge!" She cried out, desperately looking for her friend.

"Rouge, where are you?" She yelled fearfully.

She was suddenly knocked to the ground as a terrified citizen rushed past her blindly. Amy could barely hear herself amongst all the chaos happening around her. She began to choke as her lungs involuntarily inhaled the smoke and her face and pajamas were now covered in dust.

"Amy!" She faintly heard a familiar voice yell. When Amy looked up she saw a terrified Cream desperately trying to get through the crowds of terrified people who were running in the opposite direction. "Cream!" Amy shouted weakly as she managed to get herself back off the ground. The two girls ran towards one another and embraced in a strong hug. "I'm so happy to see you!" Amy cried as she hugged her best friend tightly. Cream looked up at Amy with tears in her eyes. "Amy! I can't find my mom!" She cried. Amy looked around their desolated surroundings feeling her heart pounding heavily in her chest. She had a sense of foreboding and knew they needed to get out of this area as fast as they can. "Cream, we can't stay here!" She told her in a panic as she tugged the young rabbit's hand and began to run.

"What about my mother?" Cream cried fearfully.

"We'll find her!" Amy tried to reassure her as she tried to find a safe place to go.

They ran through the abandoned, debris littered street, running past a couple of people who were running to where they just were. Amy felt lost and disoriented. She didn't know her way around Westopolis too well only having been there a couple of times. That feeling of dread continued to build in the pit of her stomach and the only thing on her mind at that moment was keeping Cream safe. She could only hope that Rouge and the rest of their friends were alright. Eggman's air fleets began to slowly descend from the sky, spreading out into formation, and getting dangerously low to the half destroyed city. A barrage of explosions began to go off as the fleets mercilessly dropped several bombs one after another blowing up buildings left and right. Amy quickly wrapped her arms around Cream to shield her as the two were thrown backwards when they barely escaped a bomb that had gone off only a couple of feet behind them. Amy shut her eyes tight and held Cream close to her protectively. When Amy reopened her jade colored eyes she wished she hadn't. Lying motionless in a small crater ahead of her were the bodies of innocent people who were unable to escape from Eggman's wrath. Tears filled her eyes as she held Cream close not wanting her to see the horrors behind her.

_Sonic…Please! Everybody needs you!_

Amy crawled slowly backwards feeling paralyzed by fear. Eggman had finally done it. He had just crossed the fine line between sane and insanity. Amy sat frozen as she watched their world completely falling apart. Now that Sonic was not there to protect them, the entire world was at Eggman's mercy.

"Amy! Please get up! We have to get out of here!" She heard Cream cry, pulling her out of her temporary state of shock. Amy shakily took Cream's hand and pulled herself back up. She wasn't sure what to do or where to go. Now they were standing alone in an abandoned wasteland that was once a street and she was completely terrified. It had gotten ominously dark as storm clouds billowed in the sky. Thunder began to rival with the sounds of destruction and bright streaks of lightning began to appear sporadically in the sky. A strange humming sound filled the girls' sensitive ears and they looked around them in confusion.

"W-What's that noise?" Cream whispered fearfully as she clung to Amy's arm.

"I-I don't know…" Amy replied nervously.

Their eyes continued to dart from one direction to another trying to find the source of the sound. All they could see was large amounts of dust floating dramatically throughout the streets obscuring their line of sight. Suddenly emerging through the shadowy smoke, was a red ominous light staring menacingly at the two helpless victims. The two girls gasped in fear as a massive robot walking on four long legs and clawed feet appeared eerily from the smoke, its red slit for an eye on the top of its head staring at them as though they were prey.

"Cream! Run!" Amy shouted as the robot began targeting them. It quickly shot a red laser at Amy and missed by a few inches hitting a ruined building instead. The two girls spread out running in opposite directions and hid behind ruins that were once skyscrapers. The mechanical monstrosity began to walk slowly, its evil glowing eye searching for them hungrily. Cream whimpered in fear as she huddled as quietly as she could behind a burnt vehicle. She poked her head out slightly to see the robot heading right in her direction. Amy's eyes widened as she hid behind a wall. She watched as the robot began to pass her and she leaned over to see it heading right for Cream. _"Please don't find her!" _She mentally pleaded. She no longer had her hammer to protect them with. She had lost it when she got separated from Rouge. The robot turned the corner and scanned the area for any signs of life. It suddenly fell quiet and the girls found themselves holding their breaths.

A large claw suddenly picked up the vehicle Cream had been hiding behind like a toy and crushed it with its claws. Cream screamed in terror as its red eye began to glow an ominous bright red. Amy panicked and did the only thing she could think of. She ran from her hiding place, grabbed a fairly large piece of concrete rubble, and chucked it right at the robot's head. "Leave her alone you metal creep!" She yelled, fueled with determination and bravery. The robot turned its head eerily towards her as its slit for an eye targeted on her. "Amy! Watch out!" Cream yelled as the robot began heading towards her best friend. Amy backed up nervously as she stared at the soulless machine making its way towards her. She had no weapon and also ran out of ideas.

"Cream! Get out of here while you still can!" Amy shouted as she turned and began to run away. Cream shook her head as tears filled in her eyes. "I won't leave you!" The ten year old rabbit refused.

Amy ran away terrified as fast as she could. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest and tears threatened her eyes. The robot suddenly picked up its speed and was quickly gaining on her. When it got close enough to her it lifted its claw like hand off the ground and swatted her like a fly. Amy was sent flying into a concrete wall where she collapsed to the ground barely conscious.

"AMY!" Cream screamed at the top of her lungs.

The robot hovered over its victim and entrapped her in its claws as its eye once again began to glow a brighter hue of red. Cream covered her eyes in fear, too afraid to see what was going to happen next. Everything felt like some horrible, twisted nightmare she couldn't awake from. Just as the robot was about to finish Amy off, two large spiked fists suddenly smashed its head in. The robot staggered backwards as it quickly began to malfunction. Knuckles quickly penetrated its mid-section, pummeling it with a barrage of hits and smashed through its metallic surface like a knife through butter. The monstrous robot collapsed to the ground as its power source began to lightly dim. Electrical currents surged as sparks emanated from its exposed areas before it ceased all movement and sound.

A sigh of relief escaped the echidna's lips as he turned his attention to the dazed pink hedgehog lying on the ground. He knelt down beside her and shook her shoulders lightly. "Hey, are you alright?" He asked her in concern. Amy let out a low groan and slowly opened her eyes. The obscurity in her vision began to clear to make out a red echidna with amethyst orbs staring back at her intently. "Kn-Knuckles…?" She asked in a daze. "Yeah, come on. You gotta pull yourself together." He told her as he helped her sit up. Amy held her head in her hand as she tried to gather her wits. Meanwhile, Cream opened up her eyes timidly when it suddenly became quiet to see Knuckles helping Amy up. She smiled tearfully in relief and quickly ran over to them and surprised Knuckles with a tight hug.

"Mr. Knuckles, I'm so happy you're here!" She cried as she tightened her hold on him. He looked down at her with wide, awkward eyes, unsure what to really say. "If it weren't for you…Amy would have been…" She trailed off not wanting to finish the sentence. A frown tugged at Knuckles lips. He already lost someone close to him and he wasn't planning on losing anymore of his friends, not while he was around to stop it.

"It's alright Cream, I'm fine." Amy said with a weak smile, trying to keep her friend calm. Cream pulled away from Knuckles only to run and give Amy another hug.

"Hey, Vanilla! It's alright to come out now!" Knuckles shouted with a faint smile as he turned to look behind him. Cream's eyes suddenly grew wide and a soft, relieved smile played at Amy's lips. Vanilla slowly emerged from the rubble a few feet away with moistened eyes as she saw her daughter looking back at her. She was so afraid when they were separated. She was afraid she might not ever see her only daughter again.

"Mom!" Cream cried as she quickly got to her feet and ran towards her tearful mother.

"Oh, Cream! I'm so glad you're alright!" Vanilla cried as she embraced her daughter and held her tightly in her arms. The two stayed like that for a while almost afraid to let go of one another.

Knuckles watched the heartwarming scene until he was pulled into yet another warm embrace. "Thanks Knuckles…I was so afraid…" Amy said in a soft voice as tears threatened her eyes.

A light blush formed on Knuckles muzzle. He wasn't very used to all of the hugs and attention he was suddenly receiving. "Don't mention it Amy." He told her as he lightly patted her back.

An air raid siren started to go off ruining the temporary calm and happy moment they were all sharing. Everyone gasped and looked around at the desolated and half destroyed Westopolis with fear and uncertainty. They could see Eggman's air fleets in the near distance circling the city and getting ready to do a second round of attacks.

"That bastard just doesn't know when to quit." Knuckles said with narrowed eyes and gritted teeth.

Cream looked up at the sky fearfully as she quickly recalled what had happened with her and Amy not too long before. "W-What's going on?" She asked innocently. Vanilla held her daughter closer as apprehension filled her heart.

"Listen, we all need to get out of here. There's a shelter not too far from here on the outskirts of the city. G.U.N has already started to evacuate as many people as possible." Knuckles informed them as he quickly began walking up ahead. Vanilla quickly followed but Amy stood in place with her eyes wide. "Knuckles, wait!" She cried. "I was with Rouge earlier but we got separated right before the bombs went off. We have to find her!"

Knuckles suddenly stopped the moment he heard Rouge's name. He turned to face her wearing a solemn expression. "S-She was with you?" He asked with worry. Amy nodded with glistening eyes. He clenched his fists tightly and closed his eyes for a moment. He looked at Vanilla, Cream, and then Amy. Knuckles was having an internal battle with himself. He wanted to drop everything he was doing to go look for Rouge but he had to think about the girls' well-being and safety.

Knuckles sighed in frustration. "After I get you guys out of here I'll go back and look for her." He told them.

"I want to help." Amy said with determination, walking by his side.

He shook his head. "No." He told her firmly.

"Why not? She's my friend too you know!" Amy exclaimed, feeling slightly hurt.

"In case you haven't noticed, you almost got yourself killed back there." He stated.

Amy huffed and stomped her foot. "It doesn't matter! I can't just abandon her!"

"Amy, this isn't your responsibility…it's mine." He told her in a serious tone. "If Sonic was still here…you and I both know he wouldn't let you put yourself in potential danger either."

Knuckles started to walk once more with a quickened pace forcing Amy and Vanilla to follow close behind. His words and tone of voice told Amy to drop the subject. What he said was true and she couldn't argue with him. Sonic would do anything to ensure her safety…even if it meant…his life. Tears threatened her jade colored eyes against her will as her mind fell on the hedgehog she loved and the horrible memory of the day he left her life. She wanted nothing more than to be in his warm, loving embrace and hear him tell her that he loved her and that everything would be alright.

* * *

They had been walking towards the outskirts of the ruined city for a while when a large shadow suddenly darkened the area around them. Everyone looked up apprehensively to see an immense air fleet that made the Egg Carrier from years ago look small in comparison flying steadily over Westopolis. Hundreds of smaller air fleets flew in formation close beside Eggman's flying fortress as it quickly soared right above them. Knuckles lightly pushed the girls back against the wall to stay hidden.

"Look out!" He yelled as he leaned himself up against the wall.

They all stood and watched the fortress and smaller fleets in awe and fear. "What's he planning to do?" Vanilla asked in a hushed whisper. She held Cream tighter in her arms and her eyes began to moisten against her will. She was frightened and feared for her daughter's life.

"I don't know but we're not staying to find out." Knuckles told her simply.

"Look!" Cream cried as she pointed up to the sky. Everyone looked up to see a familiar biplane in its attack mode not too far from them flying straight for Eggman's flying fortress. Tails skillfully maneuvered his plane to dodge an incoming missile from one of the smaller air crafts attempting to shoot him down and continued to accelerate towards his main objective: Eggman's main fleet. A green force field appeared around Eggman's flying fortress every time Tails attempted to shoot at it.

Knuckles eyes widened in realization. "That has to be the Master Emerald!" He yelled angrily. "That bastard must be using it as a shield!" Knuckles hands balled up into tight fists and at that moment all he wanted to do was pursue Eggman and get the Master Emerald back. It was his responsibility to guard and protect it from getting in the wrong hands. He was already feeling like he had failed his duty and ancestors by letting Eggman take it so easily.

Tails had shot down multiple small air crafts that were attempting to bomb Westopolis a second time and continued shooting at Eggman's main fleet relentlessly. Eggman's fleet suddenly shot a homing missile in Tails' direction. Tails began to quickly maneuver his plane to try and escape it but to no avail. His plane was hit spot on and it began to spiral out of control towards the hard ground far below.

Amy's eyes widened fearfully as she watched the Tornado II crash to the ground in the near distance. "TAILS!" She screamed as tears formed in her eyes. Without thinking she bolted from where they were hiding to run and help her friend.

"Amy, come back! It's dangerous!" Knuckles cried as he tried to grab the pink hedgehog. Amy kept running in the direction she saw Tails crash hoping he was okay. It wasn't long when Knuckles, Cream, and Vanilla were out of earshot and line of sight and she found herself running into an area that had received the most devastation she's seen so far. It was eerily silent and Amy found herself having to dodge flames that danced around ruins of buildings and burning vehicles. The smoke was thick and it was hard to see and it hurt to breath.

"Tails!" Amy coughed as smoke involuntarily filled her lungs.

"Tails, where are you?" She cried fearfully.

"_Please Tails….Please be alright." _She mentally pleaded to herself. Her jade eyes glistened as tears threatened to escape and roll down her cheeks. She already lost the person she loved. She couldn't handle losing a close friend too.

She walked past the ruins of a skyscraper and suddenly saw the Tornado II come into view. It had been badly damaged and both the wings had been blown off.

"Tails!" She gasped as she ran towards the destroyed plane.

A low groan filled her sensitive ears as Tails began to become conscious. He pulled his pilot helmet off his head slowly and looked up at Amy in a daze. "A-Amy…?" He asked her feeling a bit confused.

"Oh, Tails! Thank goodness you're alright!" Amy cried as she pulled him into a tight hug. "When I saw you go down I was so afraid that…" She trailed off not wanting to finish her sentence.

Tails returned her hug as tears filled his cerulean eyes. "I tried Amy…I really tried! I want Eggman to pay for what he's done! But I failed!" He whimpered in her embrace. "I failed to do what Sonic would have wanted me to do…"

Amy held him tighter. "No, you didn't Tails. Sonic would have been proud of you if he were here…What you did was really brave. You could've been killed." She told him as she lightly rubbed his back and held him close. The two stayed like that for a while before silently pulling away.

"Tails, we have to get out of here. I was with Knuckles and Cream earlier but got separated when I went to go find you." She told him.

"Are they alright?" Tails asked with worry.

"Yeah, Knuckles was leading us out of the city. G.U.N is evacuating everyone and I have a feeling if we don't hurry we're going to be in the middle of a war zone." She said as she began trying to pry the plane door open. The door swung open with some force that almost made Amy fall backwards. Tails took her hand shakily and began to slowly crawl out of the plane. The moment he stood on both feet he cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

"Ow!" He cried as he held onto his right leg.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked as she knelt down to inspect him. She could see a large gash and blood already trickling steadily down his leg. Amy quickly found a sharp piece of rubble and began tearing a piece of her pajamas off. She wrapped it around his injury and tied it tightly to help stop the bleeding and to prevent it from getting infected.

"Hold on to me." She ordered him softly as she gently stood him up.

He leaned himself against her for support and limped as she began to walk with him slowly. Neither spoke for a while as they worked their way through the dilapidated city. Tails looked over at Amy and frowned.

"Amy…?" He asked in a soft whisper.

"Yeah?" She asked looking at him.

"I'm sorry…about what I said…for calling you a liar and yelling at you…" He told her apologetically.

Amy shook her head as tears welled in her eyes. "It's okay Tails…You were just upset. I don't blame you." She told him honestly and lightly nuzzled her face against his own.

"We're gonna make it through this." She tried to reassure him.

Tails merely nodded with a small frown. "Do you know where to go?" He suddenly asked.

"Not really…" Amy admitted.

* * *

The outskirts of the city were in utter chaos. Hundreds of displaced and terrified people were being grouped together and escorted to safety by the many G.U.N soldiers that filled the area. Tanks, war vehicles, and helicopters began to move into the heart of Westopolis to take out Eggman's fleets and robotic monstrosities that were now flooding the city. Vanilla held Cream closely in her arms as she followed Knuckles through the crowds of soldiers and frightened civilians. He led her to a war truck that was being filled with innocent people that were going to be driven away from the city. She boarded the truck with the help of a soldier and looked at Knuckles with frightened eyes.

"What about the others?" She cried.

"Don't worry! I'm going to find them!" Knuckles tried to reassure her.

"Mother, where are we going?" Cream asked feeling frightened. "What about Amy! She's still out there!" She exclaimed with teary eyes.

"I'll find her Cream, I promise." Knuckles told her in a serious tone.

"How will we find everyone again?" Vanilla asked him in worry.

"Everyone is being relocated near Station Square. According to G.U.N it's the only city that has received the least amounts of damage." He told her.

The truck's engine started as the last couple of people boarded and began to slowly drive away in the opposite direction. Vanilla and Cream looked back towards Knuckles with sad and frightened eyes unsure of what was going to happen to everyone. When they were no longer visible Knuckles turned and began to desperately search for Rouge. He quickly ran and checked amongst all the frightened people who were waiting to be taken away from the city and still couldn't find her. He cursed under his breath as fear gripped his heart. Not only did he have to quickly find her but he had to also go back and find Amy and Tails. He honestly didn't know how Sonic dealt with all this stress of keeping everybody safe and could still wear a cocky smile on his face at the same time. Desperation filled his heart as he began running as fast as he could back into the ruined city. He had to find her. He didn't know what he'd do if something terrible happened to her. He worked his way through the labyrinth of ruins that was once Westopolis with much haste. He could hear the G.U.N helicopters soaring above him flying towards Eggman's flying fortress and the manned tanks and vehicles on the ground. He had to hurry and find everyone before a full blown war started.

"Rouge!" He yelled as he turned a corner and began running down an abandoned street. "Amy! Tails!" He called. Hoping at least one of them would hear and find him. He was running out of time. He decided to climb up one of the ruined skyscrapers and started to glide to get an aerial view of the city to help his search. After a while when he still found nobody he was searching for he began to panic. A familiar loud scream suddenly filled his ears and he quickly turned and descended from the sky. He ran as fast as he could in the direction of the voice feeling his adrenaline rushing through his veins. He turned another corner and his eyes widened in fear to see Rouge lying on the ground holding her side in pain and another one of those freakish robots hovering above her.

"Rouge!" He yelled as he rushed over to her.

Rouge's eyes fell on Knuckles as he wasted no time in attacking the enlarged, soulless machine standing above her. She was entrapped in its claws and was unable to move. Knuckles pierced right through the robot's mid-section and it staggered away as its power began to fail similarly to when he destroyed the robot that attacked Amy earlier. The robot collapsed to the ground as its power failed and its red ominous eye faded into darkness.

"Knuxie!" Rouge cried happily as he ran to her side.

"Are you hurt?" He asked her in concern as he knelt beside her.

She sat up slightly while holding her side in slight pain. "It's just a scratch…I'll be fine." She tried to reassure him.

Without hesitation, Knuckles pulled Rouge into a tight embrace. "You scared me…Idiot…What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be with G.U.N?"

"I was in my apartment when Eggman started to attack. Nobody knew he was planning on attacking the city…We couldn't even locate his current position at the time." She stated.

"Well, G.U.N is about to attack Eggman straight on and we're about to be right in the middle of it." He helped her up from the ground and she held her hand over her wound in pain.

"Can you walk?" He asked her.

She nodded. "I'll manage Knuxie, thanks though. I have to admit I like seeing this softer side of you." She said flirtatiously.

He blushed as she gave him a soft peck on the cheek. When she pulled away she looked up at him seriously. "Where are the others? Was Amy with you?" She asked him in worry.

"I managed to get Vanilla and Cream out of the city but Amy ran off on her own to find Tails." He told her.

Rouge's eyes widened. "Knuckles, we have to find her! She's not in the greatest state of health right now and won't make it out on her own!"

Knuckles looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you another time." She said as she grabbed his hand and began pulling him along ignoring the pain in her side.

* * *

"Tails…Wait…I-I need to stop." Amy said softly as her hand fell on her stomach. She was suddenly feeling very nauseous and dizzy.

"What's wrong?" He asked her in concern.

She fell to her knees and leaned over as she tried her hardest to fight the urge to get sick. Her hand covered her mouth and she shut her eyes tight taking in deep breaths. _"Please…not now…" _She thought to herself. She rubbed her churning stomach slowly in hopes that it would calm down but to no avail. She felt the bile forming in her throat and knew she was going to get sick. With a burst of energy she got up and ran leaving a confused and worried Tails behind and began throwing up behind a half destroyed wall.

Tails inwardly cringed as he listened to her retching and coughing. After a couple of minutes she finally calmed down taking in deep breaths.

"Amy…?" Tails asked her in worry.

"T-Tails…Do you think you'll be able to fly?" She asked shakily as she reappeared from behind the wall.

"I-I can try…" He told her feeling unsure.

Amy lay on the ground hugging her knees with tears in her eyes. "I-I don't feel so good…I don't think I can go on…" She told him honestly.

She felt her head spinning and her body felt very weak. The urge to sleep was growing stronger despite the danger she and Tails were currently facing. She must have pushed herself to her limit. Panic filled Tails as he looked over at Amy and noticed how tired and sick she looked. Her face had grown pale and she was having difficulty keeping her eyes open.

"Amy…Come on…you have to get up!" He said as he began to lightly shake her.

Amy whimpered weakly as she felt discomfort in her lower abdomen. Her stomach felt as though it was doing somersaults and she felt if she so much as moved the slightest bit she would get sick again.

"I-I can't…" She whispered weakly.

Tails looked down at her fearfully unsure what he should do. He could hear the sounds of helicopters in the near distance and knew if they didn't keep moving they would be caught up in a battle between Eggman and G.U.N.

"I can't leave you…" He told her as she began slipping into unconsciousness.

Tears involuntarily filled Tails' cerulean eyes and he made up his mind. He stood himself up and leaned against a wall for support. He was going to try and fly and carry Amy out of there.

* * *

Maniacal laughter echoed throughout the immense air fleet hovering over Westopolis. Dr. Eggman was truly enjoying his moment of uninterrupted glory. This was the first time he has ever succeeded and had his way without having Sonic spoil his plans. He continued to laugh as he shot down multiple G.U.N helicopters and aircrafts sent out to try and stop him. They couldn't even touch him as long as he had the power of the Master Emerald shielding his fleet. His fleet was heading for the heart of Westopolis where he planned to finish the city off for good. He had already devastated several major cities nationwide with his fool proof plan for global domination. Robotic minions attacked each city along with his aircraft drones while he took down Station Square and Westopolis himself. On the ruins of each city he decimated, he planned to build a glorious mechanical nightmare. He already decided to make Station Square his main base of operations where he'll turn it into Eggmanland. A wicked smile spread across his face as he looked into his monitor to see he had a visitor. On any other occasion he would feel unnerved and ready to flee the scene but he knew this time he had the upper hand. He didn't mind giving the Master Emerald another test run before using it to finish off Westopolis and Station Square. He flipped a couple of switches and the Master Emerald emerged from the floor encased in a large laser weapon. He aimed it in the direction his intruder would confront him in and opened the emergency exit doors so the laser wouldn't hit his fleet unintentionally. He kept his back turned continuing to focus on controlling his fleet and shooting down as many G.U.N planes as he possibly could.

"You son of a bitch!" An ebony hedgehog rasped as he narrowed his eyes at the doctor before him. Eggman's wicked smile only grew when he heard Shadow's voice and turned his chair around to greet him.

"Welcome Shadow. Are you enjoying the show down below? I think it's spectacular." The insane doctor laughed darkly.

Eggman's vicious smirk only grew when he noticed how considerably weak Shadow was looking as he stood there panting with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "I'm surprised you managed to break through my barrier but even so there's nothing you can do to stop me now."

Shadow let out a low growl and gritted his teeth. He charged for the insane doctor who only sat calmly in his chair. Eggman quickly pressed a button which caused the Master Emerald to glow a bright ominous light. Electrical charges began emanating from it as it began to charge up the laser weapon. The loud sound of the weapon charging was music to Eggman's ears as he recalled the glorious day he finally killed Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Send my regards to Sonic." Eggman said coldly as the weapon finished charging and quickly shot at Shadow before he could reach the insane doctor. Shadow's crimson eyes widened and he quickly maneuvered his body so he didn't feel the full impact of the Master Emerald's beam. He braced himself as half his torso was hit and he was sent flying out of the fleet.

* * *

The sounds of destruction filled Shadow's ears as he slowly opened his crimson eyes. Never had he ever felt so weak and useless. Due to the Chaos Emeralds losing their power, he was unable to use any of his Chaos abilities. He was reduced to being just an ordinary hedgehog at this point with the exception of his speed. The right side of his torso was singed and stung with every jagged breath he took. His crimson eyes looked up at the sky to see Eggman's fleet flying towards the heart of the city and his fist pounded onto the ground in fury. He had failed. He failed to protect everyone in Sonic's place. He sat himself up as he gathered his wits to see G.U.N soldiers fighting the onslaught of robots that had begun to plague the city. He was unable to locate Rouge which made him worry about her and Amy's safety. He quickly got to his feet and began running in the direction he saw Eggman's fleet flying. He had to stop the doctor at all costs otherwise all would be lost. Something suddenly caught his eye that made him stop in his tracks. He saw Tails struggling to keep himself in flight as he held an unconscious Amy Rose in his arms.

_Rose…_

Tears filled Tails' eyes as he tried to desperately keep himself in the air. He was growing tired and was beginning to descend from the sky against his will. They were hovering over a war zone between G.U.N and Eggman's robots and he was unable to walk freely on his own. He fell to the ground and panted in exhaustion as he laid Amy gently down beside him.

"Please wake up Amy…We can't stay here." He pleaded to her.

"What happened to Rose?" A sudden familiar voice asked.

Tails was startled and looked up to meet sharp crimson orbs staring at him intently. "Shadow!" Tails exclaimed feeling relieved.

"Tails! Amy!" The two of them heard Rouge call in a panic. They both looked behind them to see Rouge and Knuckles running over to them.

Rouge gasped and her eyes widened fearfully when she saw the pink hedgehog lying motionless on the ground. "What happened?" She cried as she knelt down next to Amy.

"She started to feel sick and passed out. I tried to carry her…but I couldn't make it all the way out of the city…" Tails told her feeling a bit ashamed.

"Rouge, weren't you looking after her?" Shadow asked her, feeling a little agitated.

"We got separated right before Eggman started bombing the city." She explained.

Knuckles and Tails both looked at Rouge and Shadow wondering if they knew more about Amy's sudden condition then they were letting on. Shadow bent down and lifted Amy up into his arms bridal style. "We don't have time for this." Shadow grunted in frustration.

"He's right. We need to get out of here." Knuckles said as he grabbed ahold of Tails to help him walk.

* * *

Everyone stood in silence as they watched the horrors that were now taking place in the distance of what was once Westopolis. Eggman had used the Master Emerald's power to annihilate what remained of the city killing thousands of young G.U.N soldiers along with his own robotic minions in the process. Ash began to fall like snow as fire continued to engulf everything that remained in the crater that once resembled a flourishing and powerful city. Soft sniffles could be heard as Tails sat on the patch of grass hugging his knees close to his chest. Knuckles stood beside Rouge clenching his fists so tightly he almost drew blood. He always knew what would happen if the Master Emerald fell into the wrong hands but nothing prepared him for what he was now witnessing. He felt he had failed his duty as a guardian and it truly ate away at his heart.

"It's all over for us now…" Rouge said quietly as a few loose tears slipped from her eyes.

Tails' sobs grew louder as he hugged his knees tighter yearning for some form of comfort. "I wish Sonic was here…" He mumbled weakly.

Shadow's grip on Amy tightened as the flames from the ruins below continued to dance in his crimson orbs. He was the only one left who was strong enough to defeat the deranged doctor and even he had failed. Without the power of the Chaos Emeralds all was lost. He would never be at his full potential and as long as the doctor continued to use the Master Emerald to do his bidding he was powerless to stop him. Their world was suddenly cast into darkness and there was nothing that would be able to stop it.

* * *

**_This chapter I felt could have been better. It didn't come out as good as I imagined it in my mind. I think I am the weakest when it comes to writing action scenes so this chapter really challenged my abilities as a writer. I hope everyone enjoyed it though and felt it was as good as the first two chapters._**


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